Suspected cable theft linked to fire at Johannesburg Central Substation

What happened

City Power reported an underground fire in late September 2026 in tunnels carrying cables connected to the Central Substation in Johannesburg's central business district. The utility's preliminary view was that the blaze was ignited during a suspected attempt to cut and steal copper cable. Reporting described it as the sixth fire at the facility since January 2026 and the third that month. Power to businesses, healthcare facilities and transport was disrupted a day after supply had been restored from an earlier outage.

Heat, reported as estimated above 200 degrees Celsius, and toxic smoke kept technicians out of the chambers for more than a day. Emergency services held a perimeter, and City Power later began staged restoration. The same account said a suspected thief was severely injured, and that security staff exchanged gunfire with armed people trying to reach the tunnels. It is not reported which equipment this fire itself damaged.

Contributing factors

City Power said preliminary investigations pointed to a deliberate attempt to sever and steal copper cable, suspected to be linked to organised theft. The utility also said no police officers were initially at the scene. No confirmed cause beyond that preliminary account has been independently reported.

Lessons learned

1. Repeated fires at one substation should trigger a fresh check of tunnel access, cable routes and how fast the site can be made safe.
2. Where theft is suspected, utilities should agree in advance who secures the site so repair crews are not left to manage a violent scene.
3. Restoration plans should assume access may be delayed by heat and smoke, and should state clearly what is not yet known about damage.

Source

streamlinefeed.co.ke