Transformer fire on Summit Avenue causes outages and road closure
Sept 2018Published 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): JCP&L
What happened
A transformer fire on Summit Avenue in Summit, New Jersey, on Thursday 6 September 2018 caused a power outage affecting 778 residents, according to JCP&L, the utility reported by Patch. Summit Police reported the incident at 2:45 p.m. and closed Summit Avenue between Parmley Place and Deforest Avenue. Two traffic signals, at Route 124 with Summit Avenue and Route 124 with Hobart Avenue, also lost power. Police reported that it would take a minimum of one to two hours for JCP&L to assess and repair the fault, and JCP&L gave an estimated restoration time of 5 p.m. The source does not report the cause of the fire, any injuries, or when power was fully restored.
Contributing factors
The source does not state the cause of the transformer fire.
Lessons learned
- Transformer fire response plans should cover isolating the supply, traffic management and coordination with police from the outset.
- Operators should give local authorities and residents restoration estimates and update them promptly when they change.
- Traffic signals near critical grid equipment should be assessed for backup power so that a single outage does not also disrupt road junctions.
More lessons on electrical protection and isolation, emergency response and public communication, outages, backup supply and restoration, from every incident on the register.
Source
Published 2026-11-06. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
