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Grid infrastructureUnited StatesEIR-0597

Substation breaker fire near Rhodes College knocks out power to 11,000 in Memphis

Sept 2025Published 9 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantElectricalProvisional
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
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supply cut for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hiddenFailed part hidden
Where
Substation near Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee
Operator
Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW)
What
Substation breaker fire caused outage to over 11,000 customers
Cause
Under investigation
Outcome
Power restored to over 99% of customers by next day

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Memphis Light

What happened

A fire broke out at a substation breaker, described as being about the size of a car, near Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. The fire caused more than 11,000 Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) customers to lose power, including the Memphis Zoo, which closed early as a result. Fire crews extinguished the blaze. MLGW crews then restored the substation bank and switched circuits to restore power to the majority of affected customers by around 6pm the same day. By the following day, MLGW reported that more than 99% of affected customers had power restored. The cause of the fire remained under investigation at the time of reporting.

Contributing factors

Not reported. The cause of the substation breaker fire was still under investigation at the time of publication.

Lessons learned

  1. A car-sized breaker fire at a substation can be contained by ground crews, so operators should ensure rapid access for fire services.
  2. Circuit switching after a substation bank failure limits outage length, so utilities should keep switching plans ready.

More lessons on fire suppression and firefighting, outages, backup supply and restoration, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Cause of the breaker fire
  • Breaker model and age
  • Cost of repairs and downtime

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Source

wreg.com

Other entries that name Memphis

Published 2026-09-09. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Substation and transformer fires: the counts, the latest entries and a free alert for the next one. Also: switchgear and breaker fires.

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