Power Outage Hits Downtown Chicago
A fire at an electrical substation knocked out power to downtown for nearly six hours Sunday, tangling traffic, stranding shoppers and football fans and raising new questions about the reliability of Commonwealth Edison.
Police on foot tried to direct pedestrians and motorists through a maze of darkened traffic signals.
The Chicago Transit Authority shut down its subway and elevated trains, but the trains were able to reach stations first so no passengers were trapped. Fire officials said several people were rescued from stalled elevators.
The power was knocked out about 12:45 p.m. CDT when a circuit breaker at a ComEd substation overheated, exploding and scorching adjacent breakers, said Fire Commissioner James Joyce. Power was fully restored by 6:30 p.m.
As power began to return, police blocked cars from entering downtown, efforts complicated by the end of the Chicago Bears-New Orleans Saints game at Soldier Field.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
