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Grid infrastructureCanadaEIR-1382

Fire at substation cuts power to Tolko plants in Armstrong

Dec 2022Published 28 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantThermal / fire
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersLow confidence
supply cut for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordFailed part hidden
Where
Tolko Industries Armstrong division
What
fire in the company substation knocked out power to the plywood and lumber plants
Injuries
None reported
Cause
Not reported
Outcome
extent of the damage had not been determined

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Tolko Industries

What happened

A fire broke out at the substation serving the Tolko Industries Armstrong division. The incident knocked out power to both the plywood plant and the lumber mill. The cogeneration plant on site remained unaffected as it connects to a separate substation. Neither plant was operating at the time of the fire. The Armstrong-Spallumcheen Fire Department responded to the call just after 4 a.m.

Lessons learned

  1. Ensure critical site loads have redundant substation feeds where possible.
  2. Confirm separation of essential generation from process loads during substation design.
  3. Establish rapid communication protocols with local fire services for early damage assessment.

More lessons on spacing, layout and fire spread, fire suppression and firefighting, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Cause of the fire
  • Extent of the damage
  • Time to restore power

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

Source

castanet.net

Published 2026-09-28. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Chart to reuse with this story: Grid infrastructure incidents in Canada, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

Grid infrastructure incidents in Canada: 30 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.

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