Substation transformer fire cuts power to thousands in Manchester Township
Jan 2018Published 21 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- JCP&L substation in Whiting, Manchester Township, New Jersey
- Operator
- JCP&L
- What
- Transformer fire cut power to 4,200 customers
- Injuries
- None reported
- Cause
- Not reported
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): JCP&L
What happened
A transformer at a JCP&L electrical substation in Whiting, part of Manchester Township, New Jersey, caught fire on the afternoon of 15 January 2018. A patrolman reported hearing a loud boom near Manchester Boulevard and Lacey Road, coming from the substation located just off Route 530; the local report headlined the event as an explosion. About 4,200 customers in the western section of Manchester Township lost power. Crews from the Whiting Volunteer Fire Company and power crews from JCP&L attended, extinguished the fire and restored supply faster than first anticipated, with only about 12 customers still off supply by early evening.
Because of the freezing weather, the Manchester Office of Emergency Management set up a warming station at the fire company premises as a precaution. No injuries were reported and no cause has been made public.
Contributing factors
Not reported. The source gives no technical cause for the transformer failure.
Lessons learned
- Substation transformer fires cause immediate outages to thousands of customers, so operators must plan for rapid joint response with local fire crews.
- Freezing weather during substation outages leaves residents without heat, so emergency offices should set up warming stations in advance.
More lessons on fire suppression and firefighting, weather and external hazards, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Cause of the transformer fire
- Transformer model and age
- Cost of the damage and repairs
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Other entries that name Manchester
Published 2026-09-21. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
