Fire Knocks Out Power to 4,200 Customers

A fire in an underground electrical vault knocked out power to about 4,200 city Department of Water and Power customers Friday and apparently caused several explosions that startled nearby residents, but no one was injured, authorities said.

Some windows in a five-story apartment building in the 6500 block of Yucca Street were blown out but no other damage to that structure or others was reported in the 7:45 a.m. incident. Some residents who were shaken out of bed thought it was an earthquake.

The fire’s cause was not immediately determined, but DWP spokeswoman Lucia Alvelais said it could have been an equipment failure. Power was restored by midafternoon to most customers, with the rest expected to get service back by this morning, she said.