East substation in La Montagne, Pretoria, catches fire after two cable theft attempts
Sept 2018Published 17 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- East substation, Albertus Street, La Montagne, east Pretoria
- What
- Substation caught fire after two cable theft attempts
- Response
- Emergency services brought the fire under control quickly
- Cause
- Short circuit from suspected thieves tampering with cables
- Outcome
- Extent of fire damage not known at time of publication
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What happened
The East substation, a distribution substation in Albertus Street, La Montagne, in the east of Pretoria, caught fire on a Saturday morning after two separate attempts by suspected cable thieves to tamper with cables at the site within the same night. Residents reported smoke from the substation. A local ward councillor said the fire was allegedly the result of a short circuit caused when the two would-be thieves tampered with the cables.
Emergency services attended and brought the fire under control quickly. Two would-be thieves were reportedly arrested within hours of each other, the first after a security guard at a nearby business raised the alarm and a private security company and the police were called, and the second after further suspicious activity was reported at the same substation. A municipal cable theft unit attended to investigate. The extent of fire damage was not known at the time of publication.
Contributing factors
Repeated attempts by suspected cable thieves to break into the East substation and tamper with electrical cables, which the ward councillor said caused a short circuit and the subsequent fire. No formal investigation findings were reported.
Lessons learned
- Distribution substations need stronger physical security such as fencing and alarms where cable theft is common, to stop repeated tampering that leads to short circuits.
- After any intrusion at a substation, owners should inspect the cables and connections at once rather than wait for visible damage or fire.
- Quick calls from site security to private response teams and police can stop tampering before it causes an electrical fault.
More lessons on theft, arson and site security, electrical protection and isolation, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Formal investigation findings
- Extent of damage to substation
- Impact on electricity supply
- Cost of repairs
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-17. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
