3,400 Ventura Residents Lose Power; Winds Blamed

Strong, gusty winds knocked a tree into a power line Monday night, leaving 3,400 Ventura residents without electricity for more than an hour, officials said.

Dry east winds toppled the eucalyptus tree, plunging residents in the area of Rocklite Road and Stanley Avenue into darkness at 5:56 p.m., said Mike Montoya, an area manager for Southern California Edison. Power was restored to all customers by 7:02 p.m., he said.

Edison operators fielded reports of arcing lines due to the windy weather, but no other power outages were reported as of late Monday, Montoya said.

The California Highway Patrol issued an advisory recommending that motorists in campers and trailers avoid three highways in the west county due to high winds.

Warnings were issued about 4 p.m. for California 33 and California 150 north of Ventura and at 6:24 p.m. for the Ventura Freeway along the Rincon.

The advisories were still in effect late Monday, officials said.