Thousands Without Power for Third Day

Residents near downtown Long Beach face a third day without power after attempts by Southern California Edison to restore its underground power system failed early today.

A City of Long Beach statement said network re-tests Thursday night and early today were unsuccessful, and gave no time for a likely restoration. A Southern California Edison outage map estimates the return of power after 11 p.m.

More than 3200 customers were without power at 8:00 a.m. today, according to Edison outage map.

Intermittent power outages could be expected throughout today, according to the statement.

The outage will also impact freeway traffic, with northbound lanes of the Long Beach (710) Freeway closed at the 3rd Street onramp, and southbound off ramps closed at Broadway and 6th Street.

The re-tests were to begin between 10 p.m. and midnight Thursday, Edison said.

Broadcast reports showed footage of smoke and steam rising through manhole vents at about 2 a.m.

The fires in three underground power vaults were reported about 3:40 p.m. Wednesday and initially cut power to around 4,800 customers, Edison said.

The vaults were beneath the 400 block of Third Street, and near the intersections of Pacific Avenue and Ninth Street and Pine Avenue and Nardo Way, Jake Heflin of the Long Beach Fire Department said.

No injuries were reported.

City News Service