Arson fire at Paisley substation cuts power to homes and a care home

In the early hours of 15 June 2020, a fire broke out at the Montrose Road electricity substation in Paisley, Scotland, after a wheelie bin was deliberately set alight and placed next to the substation. The fire caused an estimated £50,000 of damage to the substation. Around 1,800 homes lost power for up to an hour, while 85 properties, including a care home, were without electricity for nearly nine hours. A generator was brought in to provide an alternative power supply to the care home until mains power was restored. The network operator, SP Energy Networks, later offered a £10,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible, describing the act as deliberate and dangerous. No injuries were reported.

The fire was reported to have been started deliberately by placing a burning wheelie bin next to the substation.

1. Substations and other unmanned electrical infrastructure can be vulnerable to arson using readily available combustible items such as wheelie bins placed nearby.
2. Vulnerable customers, such as care homes, connected to a single substation should have contingency plans, including rapid deployment of backup generators, to maintain critical supply during unplanned outages.
3. Operators should consider physical security measures, such as restricting the placement of combustible waste bins near substation perimeters, to reduce arson risk.

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