A major power outage has left large parts of Orpington without electricity after a fire at a power substation, with homes, businesses and street lights all affected. The outage struck on Wednesday evening, leaving entire streets in darkness as emergency services responded to the incident at the electricity hub.
Town Centre Left in Darkness
Residents reported widespread disruption, with large areas of Orpington blacked out. Businesses were forced to close, including McDonald’s and a local petrol station, while traffic lights and street lighting were also affected. Witnesses described an eerie scene, with road after road left in darkness and commuters waiting at bus stops using the torch function on their mobile phones to see. One local resident said:
“I’ve been on a drive around at 9.50pm and everywhere is eerily dark. McDonald’s is shut, the petrol station is shut – no street lights. Road after road is black and people at bus stops are using the lights on their phones to see.”
Engineers Working to Restore Supply
The power interruption is understood to have been caused by a fire at the local power hub. Electricity engineers are working to make the area safe before restoring supplies to affected properties. Unconfirmed reports circulating locally have suggested power could be restored by around 5am, although no official restoration time has yet been confirmed.
Residents Urged to Stay Safe
Motorists are being urged to take extra care due to the loss of street lighting and any affected traffic signals, while residents are advised to avoid the immediate area around the damaged electrical infrastructure until emergency crews have completed their work. The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed and the incident remains ongoing.
