Western Power substation fire near Longport cuts power to over 120 homes
EIR-1101Provisional entry. Published from first reports. This entry is rechecked automatically and updated when more sources appear. Next update: 19 September 2026.
A fire broke out at a Western Power substation on Longbridge Hayes Road, near Longport in North Staffordshire, at around 4am on 21 February 2020. Five fire crews, from Sandyford, Newcastle, Hanley and Burslem, attended the scene. An aerial ladder platform was used to remove materials from the roof of the substation building and to dampen down. Firefighters extinguished the blaze using two main jets and left the scene at around 7am. The road was closed for several hours during the response and later reopened. More than 120 nearby properties lost electricity supply as a result of the fire, and power is understood to have been restored to them all. The cause was not reported.
Not reported.
- Substation fires can cause localised power outages affecting significant numbers of nearby properties even when the fire itself is contained quickly.
- Fires at electrical infrastructure buildings may require specialist equipment such as an aerial ladder platform to work safely at roof level.
- Coordination between fire services and network operators is needed to manage road closures and restore supply promptly once a fire is extinguished.
Published 2026-09-19. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.