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Grid infrastructureUnited KingdomEIR-0959

Fire at Cornwall electricity substation cuts power to hundreds of homes

May 2020Published 17 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

MinorElectrical
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersMedium confidence
supply cut for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hiddenFailed part hidden
Where
electricity substation in Bugle near St Austell Cornwall
Operator
Western Power Distribution
What
fire broke out at high voltage substation
Injuries
None reported
Cause
Not reported

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Western Power Distribution

What happened

A fire broke out at an electricity substation operated by Western Power Distribution in Bugle, near St Austell, Cornwall, on the afternoon of 20 May 2020. Fire engines from St Austell and St Dennis fire stations attended, with crews monitoring the site while awaiting the network operator. The fire, described as a high voltage incident, caused approximately 692 properties to lose power at around 4:08pm. Supply was restored to 570 properties by 4:39pm, with the remaining 122 properties expected to be reconnected by around 10pm the same evening.

Photographs showed a large plume of dark smoke rising from the site. No injuries or evacuations were reported. The cause of the fire was not confirmed in the available reporting.

Contributing factors

Not reported.

Lessons learned

  1. Substation fires need fire crews to stand by and monitor until the operator isolates the site.
  2. High voltage substation fires can cut supply to hundreds of homes for several hours.
  3. Visible smoke from substation fires needs quick public advice on local air quality.

More lessons on detection and monitoring, outages, backup supply and restoration, emergency response and public communication, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Cause of the fire
  • Equipment model and age
  • Cost of repairs and lost supply

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Source

cornwalllive.com

Other entries that name Cornwall

Published 2026-09-17. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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