Substation fire disrupts power supply in southeast Portland
Nov 2022Published 29 Sept 2026
Companies named in this entry: Portland General Electric
What happened
On the evening of 4 November 2022, fire crews were called to a substation fire along Southeast 60th Avenue and Southeast Stark Street in Portland, Oregon. Portland General Electric said the fire had left at least 3,000 customers without power. Crews originally estimated that power would return at 12:45 a.m. Portland Fire and Rescue closed nearby streets and diverted traffic, and said it would take a slow and cautious approach to this type of electrical fire. The fire stayed inside the fenced substation and did not spread to surrounding structures. No injuries were reported. The cause was not clear.
Contributing factors
The cause of the fire was not clear from the report.
Lessons learned
- Treat a live substation fire as an electrical hazard and approach it slowly until the equipment is confirmed safe.
- Keep nearby roads closed until crews confirm the fire is contained inside the site boundary.
- Do not treat an early restoration estimate as confirmed while the cause remains unknown.
Source
Other entries that name Portland
Published 2026-09-29. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.