Residents shocked after common feature of new housing estate goes up in flames
A major electric supplier has sought to reassure Aussies after a fire destroyed a substation in a growing suburb.
Residents in a booming new housing area are concerned about the possibility of more electrical substation fires after one was destroyed this week, leaving the area without power and locals wondering what happened.
The green padmounted substations, which run electrical cables underground, are a common sight in expanding estates across Australia. They can sit within metres of a home, so to see one ablaze was a frightening site for many in Austral, Sydney’s southwest, on Tuesday.
Firies were called to the substation fire on Estaires St as Endeavour Energy rushed to the scene to isolate the power.
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, a spokesperson for the electricity supplier said 1,327 residences were affected and lost power for up to four hours. The company is in the process of replacing the substation which it expects to complete next week. In the meantime, a neighbouring substation is helping keep the lights on in numerous homes.
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Concerned residents want to know how it happened, and if it is likely to occur again.
Responding to a question on a community Facebook page, the NSW Rural Fire Service Middleton branch advised people in this situation to turn off their power, and urged anyone who lives in a home nearby to evacuate and call Triple-0.
The Endeavour Energy spokesperson told Yahoo the cause of the Austral fire "is under Investigation", but assured residents incidents such as these are "infrequent". In 2023, a substation went up in flames outside a high school on Sydney’s northern beaches. It was considered suspicious and was investigated by police.
Restrictions around substations to limit fire risks
Padmounted substations are also a common feature outside large businesses. They limit the use of overhead wires with cables generally running underground. The green rectangular cubicles house the electricity transformer infrastructure that connect to the underground electricity network.
An electricity padmount substation is considered a fire source under the National Construction Code (NCC), Endeavour Energy says in its Living with Easements publication. Therefore there are building restrictions around the substations.
Any building within three metres of the padmount substation must meet an appropriate fire resistance level in compliance with the NCC. There are also restrictions on pools and spas and metal fencing installed nearby.
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