Fire at 33 kV substation in Latur district, Maharashtra

Mar 2021Published 20 Oct 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantElectricalProvisionalNext update 20 Oct

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What happened

A major fire broke out at a 33 kV substation operated by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) at Yerol village in Shiroor Anantpal tehsil, Latur district, on the morning of Thursday 11 March 2021. Officials said the fire started around 8 am after a short circuit. The substation supplies domestic consumers and agricultural pumps in 15 villages. Sparks fell on the transformer, the fire spread quickly and thick black smoke covered the area.

Fire brigade crews from Udgir, Latur and Nilanga attended and brought the blaze under control. Power supply to domestic consumers was due to be restored by the following morning, while agricultural pumps were expected to take two days to restore. Officials estimated the damage at Rs 60 lakh. The report does not mention any injuries.

Contributing factors

Officials said the fire followed a short circuit. The source also states that the substation caught fire after a sudden rise in power pressure, and that sparks from the transformer spread the fire. No other contributing factors were reported.

Lessons learned

Transformers in substations need protection that isolates a fault before sparks or arcing can ignite surrounding equipment and spread fire.
Operators should check that fire brigades have clear access routes and know the site layout, so that crews can respond quickly to substation fires.
Where a substation feeds agricultural pumps as well as homes, restoration plans should set out separate priorities and timescales for each group of consumers.

More lessons on spacing, layout and fire spread, fire suppression and firefighting, from every incident on the register.

Source

ndtv.com

Published 2026-10-20. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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