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Sugarcane fire creates power blackout for entire Yucatan Peninsula

Cancun, Riviera Maya, Q.R. — A power outage caused by a fire that affected the National Transmission Network of CFE left more than 85 percent of the Yucatan Peninsula without electricity.

On Friday afternoon, the sudden cut of power was felt around 4:30 p.m. for most when a sugarcane plantation fire became out-of-control and burned land between towers 310 and 311 of the National Transmission Network.

The network, which is located in Ticul, Yucatan affected power to Escárcega, Campeche, causing a massive power outage to three states including the entire Yucatan Peninsula. On social media, the Federal Electricity Commission reported more than 1.6 million people were affected by the plantation burn when power was lost.

They also reported “#CFEInforma: Fire, unrelated to the technical operation of the #CFE from the National Transmission Network that provides electricity to the Yucatan Peninsula. We work to restore service to affected users.”

The three affected states were Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo where city traffic was at a standstill until police arrived to direct, while numerous businesses closed for precautionary measures and local restaurants claimed losses in refrigerated products.

At the Cancun International Airport, ASUR reported several arrivals were delayed and 16 departures unable to take off.

CFE reported the full restoration of electricity in all three states by 7:05 p.m.

In March, an electrical fire at the CFE station in Campeche left the entire region in the dark as personnel scrambled to make repairs.