Local News in Brief : Explosion, Fire Rout 50 in Canoga Park
Firefighters evacuated 50 people from a Canoga Park mobile-home park for a short time Monday after an electrical regulator exploded and burned, raising fears of toxic contamination.
The Department of Water and Power later determined that oil inside the regulator did not contain PCB, a suspected carcinogen, said Elizabeth Wimmer, spokeswoman for DWP.
The explosion occurred about 10:20 a.m. in an unmanned DWP station in the 8700 block of Canoga Avenue, Wimmer said. The resulting fire and repairs left about 4,000 customers without electricity for parts of the afternoon, Wimmer said.
The regulator once contained PCB-laden oil, but the toxic substance was drained in February and replaced with oil free of polychlorinated biphenyl, in accordance with federal regulations, Wimmer said.
The residents of the mobile-home park were allowed to return home about an hour and 45 minutes after a hazardous-materials team determined that the smoke was not toxic, said Jim Williamson, spokesman for the Los Angeles City Fire Department.
Electrical regulators keep voltage constant.
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