Damaged Line Cuts Power to 3,100 Customers
About 3,100 customers in Lake Forest and Trabuco Canyon lost power Wednesday morning after someone dug into a Southern California Edison power line, a spokesman said.
A private contractor dug into the line at El Toro and Glen Ranch Road about 8:45 a.m., utility spokesman Tom Boyd said.
Crews quickly restored power to many customers, and the line was completely working by 10:56 a.m.
Boyd said that there is a state fine for the contractor--up to $10,000--and that Edison will possibly seek compensation for the outage, although such dig-related outages are common.
“Nobody here is surprised when it happens,” Boyd said. “We urge people that when they want to dig to call [the] telephone, gas and electric [companies] first.”
Underground Service Alert will notify utilities companies of a resident’s intention to dig, and representatives will come out to mark any underground lines at no charge. Two days’ notice is required for the service. Information: (800) 227-2600.
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