Fire at Draçin substation and other electrical sites in Shkodër

What happened

On 13 December 2024 a fire broke out at the Draçin electrical substation in Shkodër, and power was lost in some areas of the city. Reporting said two other electrical substations were also involved. The cause was not established; a defect in substation equipment was suspected. The local fire service was reported to have dealt with five fires at the same time, beginning with an electric cabin in Kiras, then other small electric cabins said to have failed under electrical load, and finally the Draçin substation.

The flames were extinguished. Some households were reported to have lost more than 10 million old lek after fire from a substation reached decorative objects in a yard.

Contributing factors

The cause was not established. A defect in substation equipment was suspected, and cabin explosions were attributed in one account to electrical load. Neither account has been confirmed.

Lessons learned

1. Where several distribution sites fail close together, treat them as possibly linked until the sequence is known.
2. Do not state a cause until a suspected equipment defect has been checked.
3. Substations next to homes need arrangements that limit fire spread to neighbouring property.

Source

a2news.com