Extinguishing Substation Fires

Never enter a substation unless specifically directed to do so by your incident commander. If you have been told to suppress the fire, take the following precautions:

• Position emergency vehicles at least 30 feet away from any overhead power lines.
• Use only nonconductive ladders. Do not use metal ladders.
• Carry ladders parallel to the ground. This helps you avoid contacting overhead facilities.
• Never enter a substation until utility personnel have confirmed that the equipment is de-energized.
• Never use a solid stream of water on an oil fire; always use a fog stream. Transformer oil fires can be extinguished with protein foam sprays and water fog sprays, but a solid stream of water can actually spread an oil fire. If fluorinated fire suppression foams are used in a fire emergency on Duke Energy equipment or property, please provide the site/contact with the SDS and label information for review to determine possible reporting requirements and cleanup standards. If your department uses fluorinated fire suppression foam, we encourage you to transition to Fluorine-Free Foam (FFF) alternatives.
• Report all oil releases to the incident commander. Follow standard tactics for a hazardous materials response.