Mini substation reported to have caught fire and exploded in Riverlea Extension, Johannesburg

A mini substation in Riverlea Extension, Johannesburg, was reported to have caught fire and exploded on the evening of 10 July 2019. Eyewitnesses said flames later died down but the unit continued to burn internally. Electricity was reported off across the whole of Riverlea, with Riverlea Extension still without supply after power was restored in other parts. Residents said City Power officials had been working on the unit earlier that day, and that officials later opened the substation to look inside and then left. Residents said emergency services had not arrived some hours after a ward councillor reported contacting them and being told a fire engine was on its way. Residents said the mini substation stands in a school yard. Injuries, damage and the final cause were not reported.

Residents said City Power had told them an overload on the local grid was behind outages affecting the area since the preceding Sunday, and that officials had been working on the mini substation earlier the same day. This account is from residents only and has not been confirmed by the utility or an investigation.

1. Repeated outages or suspected overload on a distribution asset are warning signs that warrant inspection and load management before a failure occurs.
2. Distribution equipment sited next to schools or homes raises the consequence of a failure and justifies extra monitoring and physical protection.
3. Arrangements between utility crews and fire services should be tested so that a burning unit is attended and made safe promptly.

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