A blaze at the Alquízar Kv 4000 electrical substation on Saturday left approximately 1,800 customers—about 7,000 individuals—without electricity in the Mayorquín Sur and Pulido Guanímar communities within the Artemisa province, as reported by Artemisa’s provincial press on Facebook.
Three fire brigades swiftly responded to the emergency: the Command 9 from Alquízar, Command 6 from San Antonio de los Baños, and Command 10 from Güira de Melena arrived promptly to extinguish the flames.
Officials confirmed there were no collateral damages or human casualties, with the impact confined to the substation itself.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, with no further information on what sparked the incident at this time.
This event adds to a troubling series of significant malfunctions within Artemisa's electrical infrastructure. In August 2025, an explosion at the 4,000 substation in Güira de Melena—a neighboring municipality to Alquízar—left about 4,600 customers powerless. Prior to that, a fire in June 2024 at the Zayas substation affected four municipalities in the same region.
The Alquízar substation had previously been highlighted by Artemisa's Electric Company as one of the sites impacted by the theft of dielectric oil, an issue pervasive throughout Cuba. In February 2026, the theft of 70 liters of this oil from a substation in Cayajabos resulted in a blackout affecting around 4,000 people; the culprit was sentenced to 12 years in prison for sabotage in May 2026.
This Saturday's fire occurs amid the worst electrical crisis Cuba has faced in decades. On July 10, a record-breaking generation deficit of 2,341 MW was recorded, with only 990 MW available against a demand of 3,200 MW.
Cuba has experienced five total blackouts of the National Electroenergetic System just in 2026, with power outages averaging between 20 to 24 hours daily in many regions, and some communities enduring over 72 consecutive hours without electricity.
Fires at substations have become increasingly common against this backdrop of infrastructure collapse. In April 2025, a fire at the Tallapiedra substation caused outages in parts of Havana, and in June 2026, a fire was quelled at the Caibarién substation in Villa Clara, affecting 15 local districts.
Over the last 24 months, Cuba has seen 10 total blackouts of the national electrical system, underscoring a structural collapse of a network that the regime has failed to sustain due to decades of neglect and inadequate investment.
Key Questions about Cuba's Electrical Infrastructure Crisis
What caused the fire at the Alquízar electrical substation?
The cause of the fire at the Alquízar substation is currently under investigation, and no detailed information has been provided about its origin.
How does the current electrical crisis in Cuba compare to past issues?
The current electrical crisis is described as the worst in decades, with record generation deficits and frequent long-duration power outages affecting the population across the country.
How many total blackouts has Cuba experienced recently?
Cuba has experienced 10 total blackouts of the national electrical system in the last 24 months, highlighting ongoing infrastructural failures.