Transformer fire at LADWP substation causes major Los Angeles area outage

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.

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.

1. Oil-filled high-voltage equipment at substations poses a significant fire risk requiring close coordination between fire services and utility staff to isolate equipment electrically before firefighting can proceed safely.
2. Utilities should maintain rapid-response arrangements with fire services for electrical isolation, to limit escalation and protect responders and neighbours.
3. Substation failures during periods of high demand, such as heatwaves, can compound public safety risks through knock-on effects including loss of building services such as lifts.

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