Alarm over fire at electrical substation on Daule Road in northern Guayaquil

Columns of smoke and visible flames prompted alarm among drivers and residents near kilometer 7.5 of Daule Road in northern Guayaquil on Wednesday afternoon and evening.

The fire started at a private electrical substation belonging to shrimp producer Santa Priscila. Technical assessments by the Guayaquil Fire Department indicated that oil inside a transformer became contaminated and then caught fire, sending flames and smoke above the industrial complex.

Workers acted before emergency crews arrived, using dry-chemical powder extinguishers under the company’s internal safety protocols. Their response extinguished the main flames and kept heat from reaching the complex’s warehouses and other operating areas.

The Guayaquil Fire Department later deployed eight vehicles and about 40 personnel. Firefighters cooled the affected equipment, checked for active hot spots and confirmed that no fire or smoke remained. Because the initial response had contained the incident quickly, they did not need to lay water hoses.

The fire caused no injuries. Damage remained confined to the transformer, which was completely destroyed. By about 9 p.m., most firefighting vehicles had left, while the National Police and the company’s private security team maintained an external perimeter. The incident occurred at roughly the same time as a power interruption affecting several northern and northwestern neighborhoods, which CNEL was investigating separately.