Fire at a Modder East substation prompts power warning for parts of Springs

What happened

On the afternoon of Monday 20 September 2021, the City of Ekurhuleni said a substation in Modder East, Springs, South Africa, had gone up in flames. The city said parts of Springs could be without electricity. A team of DEMS officials was sent to put out the blaze, and energy officials were on site to determine the possible cause and the extent of the damage. Areas named as affected were Modder East, Dersley, Presidents Dam, Welgedacht, Persida and Brakpan North.

Residents were asked to treat all electrical installations as live. The report did not name the substation, give a cause, describe the damage, or say whether supply was in fact lost or when it would return. Injuries were not mentioned.

Contributing factors

Not reported. The city said the possible cause was still being determined.

Lessons learned

1. A fire at one substation can put several neighbouring areas at risk of losing supply, so operators should be ready to transfer load where the network allows.
2. During a substation fire, public advice should tell residents to treat all electrical installations as live, because lines may be re-energised without warning.
3. After the fire, record the cause and the damage found so later events can be compared.

Source

citizen.co.za