Reutlingen power outage: arson suspected after fire at substation, hospitals on backup generators

What happened

A fire broke out at the Reutlingen-West substation around 1:45 a.m. on Monday, causing a large-scale power outage in the city of Reutlingen and neighbouring communities. The network operator Netze BW reported finding three separate fire sites, along with damage to the fence and the grounds in front of the facility. A spokesperson for the Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office (LKA) said investigators are pursuing all leads, and LKA fire investigators have been brought in — a standard procedure, the spokesperson noted, for incidents above a certain scale.

Three fire sites were found, and the fence and the grounds in front of the facility were damaged.

Impact on the ground

Around 20,000 customers of Fairnetz GmbH, the regional electricity and gas network operator, were initially affected. Five and a half hours after the outage began, roughly half had been restored. The fire department warned around 3 a.m. that the blackout would "continue for an extended period." Telephone and internet services are functioning only to a limited extent, and traffic lights may be out — police are directing traffic at intersections until power returns. The affected areas include Reutlingen's city centre, the Oststadt district, Betzingen, Ohmenhausen, and the nearby municipalities of Wannweil and Kirchentellinsfurt.

Hospitals and critical infrastructure

Critical facilities including hospitals and retirement homes were hit by the outage. A spokesperson for the Kreiskliniken Reutlingen said the hospital on Steinenberg was supplied by an emergency generator until around 6 a.m., after which mains power was restored. Even so, the hospital is operating with restrictions: all elective surgeries have been postponed as a precaution until midday Monday.

We are running with the handbrake on. As a precaution, we have postponed all elective surgeries until midday today.

Investigation and damage

Police are investigating in all directions, with LKA fire experts involved. According to dpa information, the damage amounts to several million euros. Netze BW is providing administrative assistance to Fairnetz in restoring the power supply; the two companies share the substation.

Broader context

The incident recalls a suspected left-wing extremist arson attack on the power supply to a Berlin technology park on 9 September 2025, which temporarily cut electricity to around 50,000 households and roughly 2,000 businesses. Another attack on high-voltage cables in Berlin followed on 3 January, causing an even longer outage.