Worker extinguishes transformer fire in Venezuela with soda bottles
Nov 2026Published 9 Nov 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
Get the next one by email
Free alerts on grid infrastructure incidents in Venezuela, and an email when EIR-2846 is updated. No account needed; unsubscribe in one click.
Confirm your email and every substation and transformer incident on the register arrives at once as a spreadsheet (CSV), free.
Get a free sample brief Three complete verified records and the incidents-per-GW table, by email within a minute.
We will also email you about the register's paid records and plans, at most once a week and three times in all. You can stop these at any time. By signing up you agree to the privacy policy.
What happened
A video shared widely on social media shows a worker from a Venezuelan utility company using two-litre bottles of soft drink to put out a fire in an electrical transformer. The incident took place on 2 November 2026 in Valle de la Pascua, Guárico state. The worker was standing in the bucket of a maintenance truck when he began shaking the bottles and throwing them at the burning equipment. He repeated the attempt three times, and the flames subsided after his efforts.
The video shows flames surging towards his position, and he ducked for shelter. The cause of the fire has not been established, and it is not confirmed whether anyone was injured. A Venezuelan newspaper quoted an electrical engineer who said carbon dioxide in soft drinks does not make them a safe substitute for proper fire extinguishers, and that the liquid could conduct electricity and cause a fatal electric shock.
Contributing factors
The cause of the fire is unknown according to the source. The video appears to show the worker without visible protective equipment, and an engineer quoted in the press said basic safety equipment for this type of incident was not evident. Use of an unsuitable extinguishing method is the immediate hazard described.
Lessons learned
- Do not improvise extinguishing agents on energised equipment; use the correct extinguisher and follow the operator's emergency procedure.
- Conductive liquids such as soft drinks can create an electric shock risk near live equipment.
- Require appropriate personal protective equipment for staff working near transformer fires, and isolate the equipment before any intervention.
- Keep elevated work platform occupants clear of energised equipment and plan escape routes before work begins.
More lessons on worker safety and safe systems of work, electrical protection and isolation, design, standards and commissioning, from every incident on the register.
Source
Published 2026-11-09. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
