Grid infrastructureBrazilEIR-2368

Lightning strike causes fire at Copel substation in Mamborê

Oct 2026Published 14 Oct 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

MinorElectrical

Estimated damageModelled by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?

Low confidence

supply cut for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate

From the recordRoot cause Failed part

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Companies named in this entry: Copel

What happened

On the morning of Tuesday 13 October 2026, a lightning strike hit equipment at a Copel substation supplying the municipality of Mamborê, in the Centro-Oeste region of Paraná, Brazil. The strike produced an electric arc in components of the unit, causing a fire in the structure housing the transformers and tripping the substation. The outage interrupted power to homes, businesses and public buildings in the town. Firefighters from the Campo Mourão fire brigade attended. Copel technicians inspected the equipment, replaced damaged components and restored supply by early afternoon. According to the company, the area had experienced intense rain since the previous day.

Contributing factors

Severe weather, with intense rain in Mamborê since 12 October 2026, according to Copel. Lightning was the stated trigger. Copel initially appeared to suspect a short circuit before clarifying that a lightning strike caused the arc.

Lessons learned

Lightning protection and surge arresters at substations in storm-prone areas should be inspected before the storm season, not only after an event.
Fire separation and fast fire detection around transformers can limit the spread of a fire caused by an electrical arc.
Keeping spare components on hand for common failures shortens restoration time after equipment is damaged.

More lessons on weather and external hazards, detection and monitoring, from every incident on the register.

Source

catve.com

Published 2026-10-14. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Chart to reuse with this story: Grid infrastructure incidents in Brazil, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

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