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Grid infrastructureUnited StatesEIR-1324

Transformer fire causes outage in Allentown neighbourhood

July 2018Published 26 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

MinorElectricalProvisional
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
Where
Midway Manor neighbourhood of Allentown
Operator
PPL
What
Transformer blew and fell from pole, knocking out power to 88 customers
Response
Firefighters sent at 7:30 a.m., PPL crew dispatched
Outcome
Power expected back by 10:30 a.m.

What happened

A transformer blew in the Midway Manor neighbourhood of Allentown, knocking out power to about 88 customers, according to PPL. Firefighters were sent to the neighbourhood at about 7:30 a.m. after a report of a transformer fire. A transformer was reported to have fallen from a pole on Fairmount Street and to have been on fire, as was an overhead power line, which then fell to the ground. PPL had sent a crew and expected power to be back by 10:30 a.m. Whether restoration met that time was not reported.

Lessons learned

  1. A pole-mounted transformer can fall and bring down live lines, so crews must isolate the site before any approach.
  2. Restoration estimates given early in an outage may change, so operators should update them once crews reach the site.

More lessons on electrical protection and isolation, outages, backup supply and restoration, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Cause of the transformer failure
  • Exact time power was restored
  • Model and age of the transformer

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

Source

mcall.com

Other entries that name Allentown

Published 2026-09-26. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Grid infrastructure incidents in the United States: 447 entries, with a free alert for the next one.

Substation and transformer fires: the counts, the latest entries and a free alert for the next one. Also: power line and cable failures.

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