BRIEFLY IN PUBLIC SAFETY

Squirrel causes power outage

A power outage Friday morning that left 509 Glendale Water & Power customers in and around downtown without power for 20 minutes was caused by a wayward squirrel, officials said.

The squirrel got into a circuit about 9:24 a.m. at Maryland Avenue and Windsor Road, causing the outage, said Richard Germond, a principal electrical engineer for the utility.

The circuit interruption affected a power feeder at the Tropico Substation, he added.

Customers at 24 Hour Fitness on North Brand Boulevard and California Avenue streamed out of the club shortly after the outage began, as did office workers along the 200 block of Brand while crews worked to reestablish power.

The outage also affected customers on portions of north Lexington Drive; south Colorado Street; North Harvard Street; South Elk Avenue; and South Garfield Avenue, east of Pepper Way and west of Central Avenue.

Power was restored at 9:44 a.m., Germond said.