Penrose power restored after McNab substation fire, Vector says
Vector says power was fully restored on the morning of 6 November 2026 after the previous afternoon’s fire at its McNab substation in Penrose, Auckland. The update follows an initial interruption affecting 7,000 customers, according to Vector as quoted by 1News. Electricity restoration does not mean permanent repairs to the damaged substation are complete.
Status of this incident
Current status unconfirmed
Last known status: restored, according to the source · Vector reports full restoration on the morning of 6 November 2026; permanent repairs remain outstanding and the cause is under investigation.
Source moment: Nov 6, 2026, 12:30 AM UTC (01:30 PM local time)
In 20 seconds
Police reported outages in parts of Penrose, including some intersections, after the McNab Street fire.
Vector reports full restoration on the morning of 6 November; the exact final switch-on time is not given.
Vector says the substation suffered significant damage, plans a temporary transformer and is investigating the cause.
What the sources establish
The police notice links electricity outages in parts of Penrose to the McNab Street fire and includes some intersections in the affected footprint. It does not establish that all of Auckland lost power. The available location information supports a report about the named part of the city, rather than a citywide interruption.
The customer count and evening restoration update come from Vector as quoted by 1News. The figure is 7,000 customers, not 7,000 people. It describes the initial impact and must not be presented as the number still without electricity at the later update.
What the sources tell us, and what they do not
- Reported area
- Parts of Penrose, Auckland; McNab Street and some intersections
- Initial impact
- 7,000 customers, according to Vector as quoted by 1News
- Operator restoration update
- Full restoration on the morning of 6 November 2026, according to Vector; exact switch-on time unknown
- Electrical onset
- Exact time unknown
From evening recovery to full restoration
By 19:30 NZDT on 5 November, all but one of the initially affected customers had power restored, according to Vector as quoted by 1News. Vector’s subsequent 6 November release reports full restoration that morning. These are successive updates on the same incident: the evening near-restoration report has been superseded by the operator’s full-restoration statement.
Vector says the substation sustained significant damage and plans a temporary transformer while permanent repairs remain outstanding. The transformer is a plan, not a confirmed installation. The operator also says the cause remains under investigation. The exact electrical onset and final switch-on time are not provided; the release’s publication clock is not the restoration time.
Planning for another interruption
For general preparation, the backup essentials guide, runtime calculator and internet backup guide explain options for essential devices and battery capacity. The operator’s restoration statement concerns this Penrose incident. It does not independently verify present supply at every address, confirm completion of permanent repairs or guarantee against another interruption.