Substation fire causes outage for thousands in Wildwood

What happened

A fire at the Lake Avenue substation in Wildwood led to a power outage affecting more than 24,000 customers in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest on Friday. Atlantic City Electric said the substation was de-energised. Power was restored to approximately 16,200 customers by 5 a.m. the next day, with full restoration expected by 3 p.m. Saturday. The fire was contained and the cause is not yet known. No injuries were reported.

Lessons learned

1. Operators should be ready to reroute supply and give a clear restoration estimate while equipment damage is still being assessed.
2. Outage plans should cover people who depend on electricity for medical equipment, including relocation if needed.
3. Public updates on who is affected and when power is expected back help manage community impact.

Source

whyy.org