Electrical substation fire in Cardiff city centre
June 2017Published 17 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Substation on Crockherbton Lane, Cardiff city centre
- What
- Fire broke out at external power substation and industrial bins
- Response
- 50 firefighters attended with eight engines, three bowsers and two aerial bladders
- Cause
- Not reported
- Outcome
- Adjacent building smoke-logged, roads closed and power cuts reported
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What happened
On 26 June 2017 a fire broke out at an electrical substation on Crockherbton Lane in Cardiff city centre, United Kingdom. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the fire involved an external power substation and industrial bins. Crews were called at 12.35 pm and the first crews were on scene within five minutes. About 50 firefighters and officers attended with eight fire engines, three water bowsers and two aerial bladders. The adjacent three-storey building was heavily smoke-logged. Police closed Greyfriars Road and buses were diverted. Some nearby businesses reported power cuts. This report did not confirm that the fire had been extinguished.
Contributing factors
The cause was not reported. The call was initially described as a refuse fire before the fire service said the incident involved an external power substation and industrial bins.
Lessons learned
- A fire at an urban substation next to bins can smoke-log a nearby building within minutes, so early attendance and checks for spread matter.
- The first description of a fire may not match the asset involved, so responders should confirm what is burning before treating it only as a waste fire.
- A local substation fire can close roads and cut power to nearby businesses while the wider outcome is still unconfirmed.
More lessons on spacing, layout and fire spread, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Cause of the fire
- Whether the fire was extinguished
- Extent of any damage or downtime
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.
