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Grid infrastructureSouth AfricaEIR-0714

Fire reported at Eikenhof substation causing outages in southern Johannesburg

Aug 2018Published 14 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantThermal / fireProvisional
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersLow confidence
supply cut for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hidden
Where
Eikenhof substation, south of Johannesburg
Operator
City Power
What
Fire broke out causing power outage
Injuries
None reported
Cause
Not reported

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

What happened

A fire broke out at the Eikenhof substation in the south of Johannesburg on Monday 27 August 2018, causing a power outage reported to affect Kibler Park, Naturena, the Rand Water area and the Johannesburg Prison. City Power said technicians had been dispatched to the site to determine the extent of the damage. At the time of reporting the utility's spokesperson said the cause of the fire was not yet known and that residents would be updated once the site had been assessed. Damage extent, any injuries and the restoration timeline were not reported.

Contributing factors

Not reported. The cause of the fire had not been determined at the time of the report.

Lessons learned

  1. A fire at a substation can cut supply to homes, water works and a prison at once, so impact assessments should map critical customers on each feeder.
  2. Technicians must reach a substation fire site quickly to assess damage and support switching decisions.

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

Not yet known

  • Cause of the fire
  • Extent of the damage
  • Restoration timeline
  • Turbine model and age

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

Source

jacarandafm.com

Other entries that name Eikenhof

Published 2026-09-14. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Chart to reuse with this story: Grid infrastructure incidents in South Africa, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

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