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Grid infrastructureUnited KingdomEIR-0820

Fire at Upton Warren substation cuts power to 5,000 homes

Feb 2018Published 15 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantElectrical
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
Upton Warren substation on Worcester Road in Upton Warren, Worcestershire
What
Fire knocked out power to 5,000 homes
Injuries
One man taken to hospital
Response
Firefighters tackled the fire for most of the afternoon
Cause
Under investigation

What happened

A fire broke out at Upton Warren substation on Worcester Road in Upton Warren, Worcestershire, at around 13:00 GMT. The blaze knocked out power to approximately 5,000 homes, mostly in Upton Warren and Wychbold. Firefighters spent most of the afternoon tackling the fire. One man was taken to hospital and remained there as of the report. Power was restored to affected properties shortly before midnight the same day. The cause of the fire had not been established at the time of reporting, with fire service investigators looking into it.

Contributing factors

Not reported. The cause of the fire was still under investigation by fire service at the time of the report.

Lessons learned

  1. A fire at a substation can cut power to thousands of homes, so operators should check backup supply routes and restoration plans.
  2. Fire at live electrical infrastructure needs special protocols, so fire services should maintain safe fighting procedures.

More lessons on outages, backup supply and restoration, worker safety and safe systems of work, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Cause of the fire
  • Substation equipment model and age
  • Cost of the damage

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

Source

BBC News (bbc.co.uk)

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

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