Substation fire in North Staffordshire cuts power to over 120 properties

In the early hours of the morning, a fire broke out at a Western Power substation on Longbridge Hayes Road near Longport, North Staffordshire. Five fire crews from Sandyford, Newcastle, Hanley and Burslem attended, using an aerial ladder platform to remove materials from the roof of the substation and dampen down the area. The fire was extinguished using two main jets, with crews leaving the scene around three hours after being called. The road was closed for several hours while the fire service dealt with the blaze but has since reopened. More than 120 nearby properties lost electricity supply as a result of the fire, though power is understood to have been restored to them all afterwards.

Not reported.

1. Substation fires can cause immediate local power outages even when the incident itself is contained quickly.
2. Fire response with specialist equipment such as an aerial ladder platform may be needed to safely access and extinguish fires involving roof-level electrical infrastructure.
3. Road closures near substation incidents should be planned for as part of community impact management during grid emergencies.

News report via Google News