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HUNTINGTON BEACH – More than 2,000 people lost power Monday afternoon after wires fell in a residential neighborhood.
The branch of a small palm fell shortly before 1 p.m. onto a power line, causing the line to catch fire, police and firefighters said at the scene.
Officials said the fire spread from the small line to a transformer, which then caused a large phone line on the street to surge and short, cutting power to 2,571 customers.
Marla Farley, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than five years, said this is the second time the same palm tree has caused a power outage in the area. The last time it took more than nine hours to repair, she said.
“Apparently nobody has learned a bloody thing,” she said. “I’m going to start a petition, and take it up and down the neighborhood to get (the tree) cut down.”
She said the palm tree is located on a private property across from her home.
“It’s a palm tree that’s not maintained and anytime the wind blows, it hits the wire and causes a short,” Farley said. “I have an 89-year-old mother with dementia...so, under those circumstances, this is not OK.”
Southern California Edison officials estimated the power would be out Monday for several hours and suspected everyone would have electricity again around 9 p.m.
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