A major suspected arson attack on critical energy infrastructure has plunged a large part of south-western Berlin into darkness, with authorities warning that up to 45,000 households could remain without power until next week.
Fire on Teltow Canal Bridge Triggers Major Outage
The incident, which grid operator Stromnetz Berlin confirmed early on Saturday the 3rd of January 2026, involved a fire on a bridge spanning the Teltow Canal. The blaze damaged high-voltage cables located near the Lichterfelde combined heat and power station. Police were alerted at 05:45 GMT and firefighters swiftly attended the scene to extinguish the flames.
Criminal investigators are treating the fire as a possible deliberate act of arson. Emergency services and police forensic teams remain at the location as the probe continues. The scale of the damage is significant, requiring the complete installation of new cables to restore normal service.
Widespread Impact on Homes and Businesses
The consequences of the attack extend far beyond residential areas. Stromnetz Berlin stated that approximately 2,200 commercial entities have also been caught up in the blackout. Furthermore, the disruption to infrastructure is so severe that it is impacting telecommunications, with both mobile phone services and landlines experiencing issues in the affected zone.
In an official statement, the grid company outlined its recovery plan: "We expect a full restart of all customers by Thursday afternoon" – meaning the 8th of January. This timeline underscores the complexity of the repair work needed following the destruction of the essential cables.
Infrastructure Vulnerability and Ongoing Response
This event highlights the vulnerability of centralised energy distribution networks to targeted attacks. The focus for authorities is now twofold: a criminal investigation to find those responsible and a large-scale engineering effort to rebuild the damaged infrastructure.
Residents and business owners in south-western Berlin are braced for a prolonged period of disruption, with power not expected to be fully restored for several days. The incident serves as a stark reminder of how critical yet fragile the systems that power modern cities can be.
