Arc flash at Chicago Loop substation injures at least three people
Jan 2018Published 27 Oct 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): ComEd
What happened
An arc flash at an electrical substation near North State Street and East Lake Street in Chicago's Loop caused a fire at about 12 p.m. on a Tuesday, according to the Chicago Fire Department. The arc flash relayed to a transformer and sparked the blaze. At least three people working in the building were injured. Two were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and another was being evaluated. The substation is a Chicago Transit Authority facility powered by ComEd.
ComEd said a circuit breaker issue left around 500 customers without power, and crews worked to restore supply. The fire was struck out and the building secured by 1 p.m. CTA buses on routes 29, 6 and 62 were temporarily rerouted. Authorities said the investigation was continuing and further details were not yet available.
Contributing factors
The source reports that an arc flash, a type of electrical explosion, relayed to a transformer and started the fire. ComEd said the incident caused an issue with a circuit breaker. The source does not confirm whether the circuit breaker issue caused the arc flash or was a result of it. Investigation was ongoing at the time of reporting.
Lessons learned
- Operators should review arc flash hazard assessments and personal protective equipment for staff who work near energised switchgear and transformers.
- Protection systems and circuit breakers should be tested so that electrical faults are isolated quickly and do not spread to transformers.
- Operators and utilities should prepare pre-planned responses for customer outages and transport disruption, with clear communication to affected parties during an incident.
More lessons on worker safety and safe systems of work, spacing, layout and fire spread, from every incident on the register.
Source
Other entries that name Chicago
Other entries that name Loop
Published 2026-10-27. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
