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Grid infrastructureTrinidad and TobagoEIR-1110

Electrical fire at substation causes partial blackout in Port of Spain

May 2020Published 19 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantElectricalProvisional
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
Master Sub-Station on Park Avenue, near PowerGen in Port of Spain
What
Electrical fire at substation caused partial blackout
Response
Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service put out fire in 20 minutes
Cause
Not determined
Outcome
Power lost from 11:15 am to 1:15 pm, damage $100,000

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): T&TEC

What happened

An electrical fire at the Master Sub-Station on Park Avenue, near PowerGen in Port of Spain, left parts of the city without power between 11:15 am and 1:15 pm. The outage reached as far north as Ariapita Avenue and Park Street, as far south as Independence Avenue, as far east as Woodford Square and as far west as Wrightson Road. The Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service attended after a report from T&TEC, with appliances on site within a minute, and the fire was put out in about 20 minutes.

The cause had not been determined. The fire involved an electrical panel reported to be worth about $250,000, and damage was estimated at $100,000, in the currency stated by the source. PowerGen in Port of Spain had been decommissioned by T&TEC on 14 January 2016, but that location was still reported to house a 12,000-volt supply and a 132,000-volt substation.

Lessons learned

  1. An electrical panel fire at a substation can cut supply across a wide urban area, so operators must plan isolation and restoration routes in advance.
  2. A decommissioned site that still holds live high-voltage equipment needs the same inspection and emergency access as an operating site.
  3. Until a cause is confirmed, treat every panel fire as an open inquiry rather than a known failure mode.

More lessons on electrical protection and isolation, emergency response and public communication, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Exact model and age of the electrical panel
  • Cost of lost supply to users
  • Time to full restoration of all circuits

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

Source

guardian.co.tt

Published 2026-09-19. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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