Mission Viejo : Saddleback College Blacked Out by Fire

Saddleback College students got an early spring break Tuesday when a small transformer fire caused an all-campus blackout and college President Constance Carroll told most students, faculty and staff members to go home at noon, a college spokeswoman said.

Most afternoon classes were canceled, affecting an estimated 15,000 students, spokeswoman Anne Ambrose said. “Many of our classrooms have nice, big windows, and they (instructors) can still go ahead and hold a lecture,” Ambrose said. “Those classes able to do so with available light are being instructed to do so. So it’s a partial closure.”

The fire--the cause of which is unknown--did no structural damage to the school, and there were no known injuries, Ambrose said. Repairs were expected to be completed in time for evening classes.