Suspected Arson in Reutlingen: Reutlingen-West Substation Offline

A spokesperson for the State Office of Criminal Investigation (LKA) of Baden-Württemberg said police are investigating in all directions. LKA fire experts have been brought into the investigation. "That is standard practice with incidents above a certain scale," he explained.

LKA Baden-Württemberg Investigation

According to the spokesperson, Netze BW is providing official assistance to Fairnetz GmbH in restoring the power supply. Fairnetz GmbH describes itself as the electricity and gas network operator in the Reutlingen region.

Comparable Incidents in Berlin

In Berlin, there had already been attacks on the power infrastructure in the past. Following the attack on September 9, 2025, on two power masts, around 50,000 private households and around 2,000 businesses were temporarily affected by a power outage. The incident in Reutlingen is reminiscent of an alleged left-wing extremist arson attack on the power supply of a Berlin technology park.

Another attack on high-voltage cables in Berlin was carried out on January 3. It lasted even longer than the one in September 2025. These comparable cases in the federal capital raise the question of whether a political motive could also play a role in the Reutlingen case.

The exact consequences for the affected households and businesses in Reutlingen were initially unclear. Information on the duration of the complete outage and on possible damage to devices or infrastructure was not available at the time of the dpa report.

The report carries the image code dpa:260608-930-188586/1 and originates from the dpa news channel. The headline of the agency dispatch categorizes the events under "Berlin / Brandenburg," although according to the information the incident occurred in Reutlingen.

Both Netze BW and the LKA Baden-Württemberg announced that they will continue the investigation and the restoration of power supply. Fire experts are to evaluate the evidence at the three points of ignition as well as at the damaged fence and grounds.

According to its own statements, police are examining all possible directions. No concrete suspect or clearly defined motive has been made public so far.