12:39 PM: A reported fire atop a power pole has left nine homes without power and brought an emergency response blocking 21st SW in the 5900 block [map], in an area where there are few outlets. Avoid the area for a while.
1:17 PM: SPD officers who were helping with traffic control just told dispatch the road is open and they’re leaving. City Light is reported to be on scene.
2:11 PM: Now the SCL outage map shows more than 200 homes out. Added a screenshot above. The map categorizes the cause as “environmental.” (We’ll follow up with SCL tomorrow for something more detailed.)
2:38 PM: Nearby resident reports a new pole just went by on a flatbed (photo above), so repairs might take a while longer.
7:32 PM: A lot longer. The neighbor who first spotted the new pole says the crew told her they just got clearance to install it, and they’re estimating midnight restoration. Meantime, as discussed in comments, we sent an inquiry to SCL’s media mailbox – and just heard back from spokesperson Jenny Levesque, who says the System Operations Center is currently estimating 10:30 pm.
12:04 AM: Texter tells us the power returned about 20 minutes ago, meaning the outage lasted almost 12 hours.
MONDAY 8:02 PM: Just heard from City Light spokesperson Kate Jacobs with the answer to our question about how the pole fire started. In short, a change-of-seasons problem: “During extended dry weather, dust and grime can collect on the insulators that hold power lines away from the pole. When the first light rain arrives, that layer gets damp and can allow a small amount of electrical current to leak across the surface rather than staying on the line. In this case, that current appears to have traveled down to a metal bolt in the wooden crossbeam near the top of the pole. Our crews believe the bolt burned through the wood, which caused the fire and resulting outage.”
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