Fire at disused electrical substation on Church Street, Tongaat

What happened

The electrical substation on Church Street in Tongaat was reported ablaze at about 5pm on 14 November 2019, according to Netcare 911. The local Community Emergency Response Team contacted the Tongaat Fire Department, which controlled the fire and put it out. The North Coast Courier reported that the old substation was disconnected and no longer in use, and that the fire was quickly extinguished. No injuries were reported. The report did not give the cause, the extent of any damage, the owner, or whether any power supply was affected.

Contributing factors

Not reported.

Lessons learned

1. A substation taken out of service can still catch fire, so operators should confirm that disused sites are isolated and left in a safe condition.
2. Records of sites that are no longer live should be available to emergency services.
3. After a fire at a disused site, the cause and any remaining hazard should be checked before the site is left unattended.

Source

citizen.co.za