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Grid infrastructureUnited StatesEIR-0782

Animal-caused fire at Anderson Township substation cuts power to thousands

Jan 2023Published 15 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

MinorElectrical
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersMedium confidence
supply cut for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hiddenFailed part hidden
Where
Anderson Township substation, Beechmont Avenue and Markley Road, Ohio
Operator
Duke Energy
What
Fire broke out inside the substation
Response
Anderson Township firefighters responded
Cause
Animal damage to substation equipment

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

What happened

A fire broke out inside the Anderson Township substation, operated and owned by Duke Energy, at the intersection of Beechmont Avenue and Markley Road in Anderson Township, Ohio, at around 7:30pm on 31 January 2023. The fire produced bright flashing lights visible for miles, including from Cincinnati and as far north as Mason. Duke Energy attributed the incident to animal damage. Anderson Township firefighters responded and said the area was unsafe to be near, and the public was asked to stay clear.

More than 2,000 customers lost power, with one report referring to about 2,300 customers affected. Power was restored to affected residents and businesses a short time later, according to Duke Energy's outage map.

Contributing factors

Animal damage to substation equipment, as stated by Duke Energy.

Lessons learned

  1. Animal intrusion at a substation can damage equipment and start a fire, so operators should inspect and maintain guards on conductors and bushings.
  2. A substation fire can produce visible flashing lights for miles, so clear public communication and outage mapping should be ready in advance.
  3. Firefighters need clear guidance on safe distances at an energised substation, so utilities should maintain joint response plans.

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

Not yet known

  • Exact type of animal involved
  • Equipment damaged and its age
  • Duration of the outage
  • Cost of repairs

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

Source

wcpo.com

Other entries that name Anderson

Published 2026-09-15. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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