Update: Power Back on in Route 19 Area; Stores Report Smell of Smoke During Outage

The power has been restored along Route 19 in Cranberry after an hourlong outage Tuesday afternoon.

Penn Power spokesman Robbie Lombardo said about 1,967 customers were affected by the outage. Electricity was restored at 2:45 p.m.

While the company is still investigating an official reason for the power loss, Lombardo said the recent storms that swept through area in the last few days likely caused the outage.

also was kept hopping during the outage with half a dozen almost simultaneous calls. 

Firefighters responded to the after smoke filled the building. Fire Chief Brian Kovac said motors inside two rooftop HVAC units burnt up during a power surge caused by the outage.

The pharmacy was evacuated.

"We killed the power to the building and ventilated the smoke from it," Kovac said.

Firefighters also cleared the Joseph A. Banks store in the Streets of Cranberry shopping plaza and the Goodwill store on Route 19 after those businesses reported the smell of smoke in the buildings.

The outage also affected traffic signals along the highway. Cranberry police and firefighters were on the scene to direct traffic.

Adams Area, Harmony, Zelienople and Marshall firefighters assisted Cranberry on the calls.

Cranberry volunteers also responded to the on Freedom Road and the Rowan Towers office building on Rowan Road for automatic fire alarms.

In Adams, Adams Area firefighters rescued a mother and two children trapped in an elevator that had became stuck between the first and second floors at Northpointe Dental on Route 228 at about 3:30 p.m. during an outage at that building. 

Chief Bill Hayes said firefighters used an elevator key to pop open the doors and help the family to the ground. The elevator was suspended about three feet from the floor, he said.