Transformer fire at LADWP substation causes major Los Angeles area outage
July 2017Published 15 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Receiving Station J, Northridge, California
- Operator
- Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)
- What
- Explosion and fire in mineral oil vat at substation
- Injuries
- None reported
- Cause
- Mechanical malfunction
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
What happened
On the evening of 8 July 2017, an explosion was reported at Receiving Station J, a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) energy transmission site in the 18900 block of Parthenia Street, Northridge, California. Firefighters arriving found heavy flames and a thick column of dark smoke from a vat containing as much as 60,000 gallons of mineral oil, reportedly used as a coolant for high-voltage equipment, which was believed to be fully energised.
Seventy-four Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) personnel worked with LADWP experts to electrically isolate the fire before extinguishing it with large volumes of water and firefighting foam within two hours. There were no injuries. The resulting power outage, during intense summer heat, affected Northridge, Winnetka, Reseda, Lake Balboa, Tarzana, North Hills, Granada Hills, Chatsworth, West Hills, Canoga Park and Woodland Hills, leading to scores of LAFD service calls including many elevator rescues. Fire damage to the facility and any effect on utility service were to be determined by LADWP.
Contributing factors
Utility officials attributed the blaze to a mechanical malfunction and considered the cause accidental. The large volume of mineral oil coolant involved contributed to the intensity of the fire and the complexity of the response.
Lessons learned
- Oil-filled high-voltage equipment at substations can burn intensely, so operators must arrange for electrical isolation before firefighters start work.
- A large volume of mineral oil coolant increases fire intensity and response complexity at substations.
- Substation outages during summer heat can trigger many secondary calls such as elevator rescues.
More lessons on fire suppression and firefighting, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Equipment model and age
- Duration of the outage
- Cost of the damage
- Full effect on utility service
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-15. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
