Incipient fire at San Mateo substation cuts power in Cúcuta
Sept 2026Published 23 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- San Mateo substation, Cúcuta, Colombia
- Operator
- Centrales Eléctricas del Norte de Santander (CENS)
- What
- Incipient fire in substation equipment caused power loss
- Cause
- Not reported
- Response
- Staff sent to inspect and build alternate connection
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Centrales Eléctricas del Norte de Santander
What happened
On 16 September 2026, Centrales Eléctricas del Norte de Santander (CENS) reported an unscheduled loss of electricity in several sectors of Cúcuta and the metropolitan area after an incipient fire in equipment at the San Mateo substation. CENS said it had activated specialised substation staff and sent them to the site. Supply in Los Patios and Villa del Rosario was also reported affected. The Los Patios mayor's office said CENS staff were inspecting the substation and working on an alternate connection to restore supply. The cause, any injuries, and whether supply was restored were not reported.
Contributing factors
Not reported. The company described an incipient fire in one piece of substation equipment. A social-media post referred to an explosion, but that claim was not confirmed in the company statement.
Lessons learned
- An incipient fire in one piece of substation equipment can cut supply to a city and nearby municipalities.
- Operators must prepare an alternate connection path to restore supply during substation isolation and inspection.
More lessons on outages, backup supply and restoration, electrical protection and isolation, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Cause of the fire
- Any injuries
- Whether supply was restored
- Equipment model and age
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-23. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
