Transformer fire at Pyramid substation causes Pretoria blackouts
Oct 2019Published 6 Nov 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): City of Tshwane
What happened
A transformer fire at the Pyramid substation in Rooiwal, Pretoria, was reported at 17:59 on Friday 18 October 2019. According to the Tshwane emergency management service, a distribution room of about 30 by 20 square metres was found fully ablaze with its roof collapsed. The overheated transformer was leaking oil, which was contained to one area. Power was lost across several suburbs, including Rooiwal, Vastfontein, Grootvlei and Honingnestkrans. The metro later restored supply to Koedoespoort, Queenswood, Môregloed, Montana Park and Montana Gardens. A City of Tshwane electrician issued an electrical certificate declaring the substation safe for firefighters, who then extinguished the fire. Emergency teams cleaned the site afterwards.
Contributing factors
The source states that the transformer was overheated. It does not report what caused the overheating.
Lessons learned
- Monitor transformer temperature and oil condition continuously, so that overheating is detected and acted on before a fire develops.
- Provide oil containment and bunding around transformers so that any leak stays within a defined area.
- Confirm that substation distribution rooms can be made safe for firefighters, including isolation and electrical certification, before firefighting begins.
- Plan network switching so that supply can be restored to unaffected feeders quickly when a substation is lost.
More lessons on detection and monitoring, fire suppression and firefighting, outages, backup supply and restoration, from every incident on the register.
Source
Other entries that name Pyramid
Published 2026-11-06. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
