Power station fire leaves Northside in the dark
A fire at the Kloofendal Power Station resulted in large areas being left without electricity on Monday, February 5.
A fire in the battery room of the Kloofendal Power Station caused a widespread electricity blackout on Monday, February 5, affecting a huge area including Horison, Kloofendal, Helderkruin, Strubens Valley, Little Falls, Wilgeheuwel, and Weltevreden Park.
According to City Power’s general manager for Region C, Sibusiso Xulu, who spoke to the Northsider on-site, the battery room caught fire, forcing City Power to switch off the power station as a precaution.
“At this stage, there is no indication as to what exactly caused the fire. We have just now been given the all-clear by the station commander of the Florida Fire Station to re-enter the station, so we will be investigating the cause.”
According to Xulu, the battery bank is part of a backup safety system.
“Initial inspection by our technicians indicates that damage to the station is minimal. We will have to replace the batteries and some cables. Our technicians will do a thorough inspection and restore power as soon as possible.”
UPDATE: City Power Region C GM Sibusiso Xulu has confirmed that electricity to all areas affected by Monday morning’s fire at the Kloofendal Power Station has been restored.
“All affected areas have been restored,” says Xulu. “We are currently using temporary batteries, and our team is in the process of replacing the burnt batteries with new ones, and doing the necessary repairs.”
According to Xulu, the repair and replacement of batteries will be complete by Friday, February 8.
