Fire at electricity sub-station prompts evacuation in Kilmarnock
Nov 2022Published 29 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
Get the next one by email
Free alerts on grid infrastructure incidents in the United Kingdom, and an email when EIR-1614 is updated. No account needed; unsubscribe in one click.
Confirm your email and every substation and transformer incident on the register arrives at once as a spreadsheet (CSV), free.
Get a free sample brief Three complete verified records and the incidents-per-GW table, by email within a minute.
We will also email you about the register's paid records and plans, at most once a week and three times in all. You can stop these at any time. By signing up you agree to the privacy policy.
Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): SP Energy Networks
What happened
On the night of 21 November 2022, a fire broke out at an electricity sub-station on Knockinlaw Mount in Onthank, Kilmarnock. Police Scotland said officers came across the fire at about 10.40pm. Around 20 households were evacuated as a precaution, amid fears over the fire's proximity to a gas supply. Residents were taken first to Onthank Primary School and then to local hotels, and were able to return the following afternoon.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service mobilised two appliances. There were no reported casualties. SP Energy Networks said a fire in the Kilmarnock area left about 950 customers without power, that almost 900 were restored within an hour, and that the rest were restored by the following morning. A joint investigation into the cause was ongoing.
Contributing factors
The cause has not been reported. Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said a joint investigation was ongoing.
Lessons learned
- A fire at a local substation next to housing can require a precautionary evacuation and a cordon even when the cause is not yet known.
- Restoration plans should allow most customers to be reconnected quickly while a smaller number may need supply into the next day.
- Emergency plans for substations near homes should cover coordination with the fire service, police and the local council, including rest centres.
More lessons on emergency response and public communication, outages, backup supply and restoration, fire suppression and firefighting, from every incident on the register.
Published 2026-09-29. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
