Cable fire at transformer station reported to involve a technical defect, Ölkofen near Hohentengen
2026Published 29 Oct 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
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What happened
Fire crews were called at about 13:31 on a Monday to a cable fire at a transformer station at a farmstead in Ölkofen, a district of Hohentengen in Germany. The first crew on scene found heavy smoke at the transformer station. The network operator Netze BW was alerted to disconnect the high and low voltage supply, which allowed firefighters to open the station and extinguish the blaze within a short time.
The farm keeps pigs and poultry and runs a biogas plant, and it was left without power. The fire brigade connected a generator to keep the biogas plant and barn ventilation running. The operator later arranged its own generator, which supplied power from the evening. Three vehicles and 20 firefighters attended for about two hours. No one was injured and no animals were harmed. Police estimate property damage at around 20,000 euros.
Contributing factors
Initial findings from a police patrol crew suggest a technical defect may have caused the fire. This has not been confirmed and no further detail has been reported.
Lessons learned
- Regular inspection and maintenance of distribution transformer stations and their cable connections can identify faults before they ignite.
- Farms and biogas plants should have a backup power plan so that ventilation and process systems keep running when the grid supply is isolated.
- Clear arrangements with the local grid operator for rapid isolation allow firefighters to open equipment safely and start work quickly.
More lessons on electrical protection and isolation, fire suppression and firefighting, from every incident on the register.
Source
Published 2026-10-29. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
