Underground cable failure sparks transformer fire and Newark power outage

An underground electrical cable failure caused a transformer fire in downtown Newark, New Jersey on a Saturday afternoon. A resident reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing smoke rising from the street. The fire led to a widespread outage affecting approximately 1,500 customers at its height, including a Rutgers University residence hall and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center cancelled a concert scheduled for that evening. Utility crews worked through the weekend to inspect the damaged electrical facilities and restore service. By Sunday morning PSE&G reported all but five larger business customers had been restored, with the Hahne's building and 15 Rector Street still without power as of Sunday evening. The utility said the fire was caused by a cable failure, which was under investigation.

An underground cable failure, cause not further specified, was identified by the utility as the trigger for the transformer fire. The matter was under investigation at the time of reporting.

1. Underground cable and transformer failures can cause outages affecting a wide range of critical customers, including universities and cultural venues, so outage contingency planning should cover these dependencies.
2. Rapid inspection and restoration protocols for underground electrical facilities limit the duration of disruption, particularly where damaged plant must be assessed before re-energisation.
3. Condition assessment and replacement programmes for ageing urban underground cable networks help reduce the risk of fire and associated outages.

cbsnews.com/newyork/news/pseg-power-restored-in-newark-after-transfo...