Fire at PECO substation cuts power to over 30,000 Philadelphia customers
Mar 2017Published 15 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- 2600 block of West Westmoreland Street, Tioga, North Philadelphia
- Operator
- PECO
- What
- Fire broke out at electrical substation
- Response
- Philadelphia Fire Department responded to battle the blaze
- Cause
- Not reported
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): PECO
What happened
A fire broke out at a PECO electrical substation located on the 2600 block of West Westmoreland Street, near the intersection of Fox Street and Hunting Park Avenue, in the Tioga section of North Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Fire Department responded to battle the blaze. The fire caused power outages affecting more than 30,000 PECO customers in the area. Numerous traffic lights in the surrounding area lost power, prompting city officials to urge caution among drivers, and the city's Streets Department installed generators at major intersections until power could be restored.
Several SEPTA bus routes were detoured and delayed as a result of the incident. Temple University reported power outages in portions of Temple University Hospital. The article was published as the incident was still developing.
Contributing factors
Not reported.
Lessons learned
- A substation fire can cut supply to traffic lights and hospitals, so operators must map backup power routes for these assets in advance.
- Substation fires disrupt bus routes and city services over wide areas, so contingency plans should include portable generators at key junctions.
More lessons on outages, backup supply and restoration, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Cause of the fire
- Substation equipment model and age
- Duration of power outages
- Cost of damage and repairs
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Other entries that name Philadelphia
Published 2026-09-15. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
