Major fire at Yerevan substation: injuries, power outages, and investigation into causes
28.09.2026,
11:22
A major fire broke out on Sunday at the Tsitsernakaberd 110/6 kV substation.
YEREVAN, September 28. /ARKA/. A major fire broke out on Sunday at the Tsitsernakaberd 110/6 kV substation.
Four-hour firefighting operation
A report regarding the fire at the electrical substation on Tsitsernakaberd Highway was received by the 112 Operational Management Center of the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs on September 27 at 17:07.
Initially, six fire-rescue crews, a duty team from the Firefighting and Rescue Operations Department, and an aerial ladder truck were dispatched to the scene. Later, the number of deployed crews increased to approximately 11.
According to Narek Sargsyan, spokesperson for the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the fire originated in one of the transformers, which contained approximately 25–30 tons of oil. Firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading to an adjacent section containing another 30 tons of oil and stopped it from reaching nearby vegetated areas.
The fire was contained by 20:10, with no open flames remaining by that time. The blaze was fully extinguished at 21:10, and a monitoring team was stationed at the site.
Two firefighters injured
Two firefighter-rescuers suffered from smoke inhalation while battling the blaze. One was hospitalized, while the other received medical attention on-site.
According to Romanos Petrosyan, the interim manager of Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) CJSC, there were no injuries among the substation staff. About 5,000 customers left without power
The incident left approximately 5,000 customers without electricity, primarily in the central administrative district.
According to ESA data, the outages affected Pushkin, Yekmalyan, Teryan, Papa Tagavor, Saryan, Byuzand, Parpetsi, Frik, Tumanyan, and Aram streets, as well as Northern Avenue, Tsitsernakaberd Highway, and Kirk Kerkorian and Monte Melkonyan streets.
The company stated that power would be restored within the next few hours by switching to alternative power sources.
Cause of the fire under investigation
According to Petrosyan, a report regarding the fire has been submitted to law enforcement agencies.
"We are not ruling out any theories," he stated, adding that the possibility of an "unusual act"—whether external or internal—is being considered.
ESA will also conduct an internal investigation into the actions of all units and on-duty specialists—ranging from the dispatch service to the technical staff who worked at the substation and related infrastructure facilities. Any misconduct identified will be assessed accordingly.
Furthermore, once the equipment has cooled down, an electrical engineering assessment of the substation is planned.
Substation to be renovated or replaced with a new one
According to Petrosyan, the facility's future depends on the results of the assessment. If the substation is deemed suitable for continued use, plans are in place to renovate it within a few weeks and equip it with new transformer infrastructure.
If restoration proves impossible, the load will be redistributed among other substations, and a new substation of similar capacity will be built on the site.
Four-hour firefighting operation
A report regarding the fire at the electrical substation on Tsitsernakaberd Highway was received by the 112 Operational Management Center of the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs on September 27 at 17:07.
Initially, six fire-rescue crews, a duty team from the Firefighting and Rescue Operations Department, and an aerial ladder truck were dispatched to the scene. Later, the number of deployed crews increased to approximately 11.
According to Narek Sargsyan, spokesperson for the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the fire originated in one of the transformers, which contained approximately 25–30 tons of oil. Firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading to an adjacent section containing another 30 tons of oil and stopped it from reaching nearby vegetated areas.
The fire was contained by 20:10, with no open flames remaining by that time. The blaze was fully extinguished at 21:10, and a monitoring team was stationed at the site.
Two firefighters injured
Two firefighter-rescuers suffered from smoke inhalation while battling the blaze. One was hospitalized, while the other received medical attention on-site.
According to Romanos Petrosyan, the interim manager of Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) CJSC, there were no injuries among the substation staff. About 5,000 customers left without power
The incident left approximately 5,000 customers without electricity, primarily in the central administrative district.
According to ESA data, the outages affected Pushkin, Yekmalyan, Teryan, Papa Tagavor, Saryan, Byuzand, Parpetsi, Frik, Tumanyan, and Aram streets, as well as Northern Avenue, Tsitsernakaberd Highway, and Kirk Kerkorian and Monte Melkonyan streets.
The company stated that power would be restored within the next few hours by switching to alternative power sources.
Cause of the fire under investigation
According to Petrosyan, a report regarding the fire has been submitted to law enforcement agencies.
"We are not ruling out any theories," he stated, adding that the possibility of an "unusual act"—whether external or internal—is being considered.
ESA will also conduct an internal investigation into the actions of all units and on-duty specialists—ranging from the dispatch service to the technical staff who worked at the substation and related infrastructure facilities. Any misconduct identified will be assessed accordingly.
Furthermore, once the equipment has cooled down, an electrical engineering assessment of the substation is planned.
Substation to be renovated or replaced with a new one
According to Petrosyan, the facility's future depends on the results of the assessment. If the substation is deemed suitable for continued use, plans are in place to renovate it within a few weeks and equip it with new transformer infrastructure.
If restoration proves impossible, the load will be redistributed among other substations, and a new substation of similar capacity will be built on the site.
