Fire at electrical substation cuts power to 61 homes in Bolbec

What happened

A fire broke out at a 20,000-volt electricity substation on rue Azarias-Selle in Bolbec on Monday 12 October 2026, shortly before 7.30pm. Residents reported a strong smell of burning. The fire caused a power cut across the surrounding area, leaving 61 homes without electricity. Ten firefighters from the Bolbec fire and rescue centre attended with Enedis crews, who worked to secure the area, and a protective hose line was deployed.

The town council urged residents to remain alert to smoke and to call the emergency services on 18 if they experienced breathing difficulties. According to initial information, power was expected to be restored at midday on Tuesday 13 October. The report states that no one was injured. The circumstances of the fire were not yet known at the time of reporting.

Contributing factors

The source states that an electrical panel was put out of service by a short circuit. The cause of the fire itself had not been established at the time of reporting.

Lessons learned

1. Substation fires can cut power to dozens of homes, so switchgear and electrical panels should be inspected for overheating and signs of short circuits as part of routine maintenance.
2. Network operators should issue an early public message covering smoke advice and expected restoration times when a fire affects a residential supply.
3. Fire crews and network operators should coordinate to make the site safe before power is restored, with protective hose lines in place while work proceeds.

More lessons on electrical protection and isolation, outages, backup supply and restoration, fire suppression and firefighting, from every incident on the register.

Source

lecourriercauchois.fr