Thieves damage substation causing fire and outage in Harrison
2026Published 30 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Consumers Energy
What happened
Power was restored to more than 2,700 customers in Clare County after thieves broke into a Consumers Energy substation on Deer Lake Road in Harrison late on Friday night. Someone cut and removed metal cables, causing damage that sparked a fire and knocked out power to homes and businesses. Crews completed repairs and restored electricity to all affected customers by about 9 a.m. the following morning. Consumers Energy has asked anyone with information about the theft to contact the Clare County Sheriff's Department and has reminded the public to stay at least 25 feet away from any downed power line.
Contributing factors
Theft of metal cables from the substation.
Lessons learned
- Secure substations against metal theft to prevent damage and outages.
- Public education on the dangers of approaching electrical facilities reduces risk.
- Rapid repair response limits customer impact from such incidents.
More lessons on theft, arson and site security, emergency response and public communication, from every incident on the register.
Source
Published 2026-09-30. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
