Substation fire in San José cuts power to over 100,000 customers

A fire accompanied by loud explosions broke out at an electric substation in El Porvenir de Desamparados, just south of San José, Costa Rica, on Wednesday evening. The substation belongs to the National Power and Light Company (CNFL). The blaze lit up the night sky and was visible across the Central Valley, prompting firefighters from around the city to respond. The incident left at least 100,000 homes and businesses without power across southern and eastern San José, and water, phone and internet services in some areas were also affected. Traffic lights across the city were affected, worsening already severe congestion. About ten nearby homes suffered damage, mostly to their electrical systems, and part of a utility pole fell on the roof of one home. CNFL reported that about 120 people worked through the night to replace five utility poles and 500 metres of power lines and to restart operations at the substation, with power restored to all customers by around 5.30pm the following day. No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire had not been determined at the time of reporting.

1. A single substation fire can cut supply to more than 100,000 customers and knock out dependent services such as water, telecoms and traffic signals, so utilities should plan for cross-service consequences.
2. Rapid deployment of repair crews and clear public communication, including door-to-door visits to affected residents, helps manage community impact during an extended outage.
3. Inspecting nearby properties after the event for collateral damage, such as fallen poles or damaged electrical systems and appliances, supports timely safety checks and claims handling.

ticotimes.net/2017/06/28/power-station-blows-southern-san-jose-community