Power Outages

GLENDALE — Gusty winds on Thursday caused power outages and toppled trees, causing messes throughout the day. A large tree limb in the 700 block of East Broadway fell onto a parked vehicle, while a pine tree collapsed and destroyed two parked cars in the 4100 block of Lauderdale Avenue, said Steve Zurn, Glendale public works director. The pine tree was on private property, so the property owner was responsible for removing it, city spokeswoman Vicki Gardner said. City crews repaired a power line that was damaged by the tree.

A failed relay unit located near a main transformer is to blame for knocking out the power at Glendale Community College on two separate days over a weeklong period, official said Thursday. Electricians were able to repair the equipment Wednesday night after power outages forced administrators to close the campus Nov. 30 and Dec. 5. After turning students away on Wednesday, school resumed Thursday morning after electricians brought the power back after 8 p.m. Wednesday night.

CITY HALL — City officials got a sneak peek Thursday at a new and improved electrical substation — the result of a roughly $12-million project that utility officials say will make the electrical supply more reliable. In 2009, the City Council approved the roughly $12-million contract with Beta Engineering LLC for the demolition and replacement of the existing Glorietta substation in north Glendale, which serves 4,000 customers. The facility is one of 13 electric substations that serve as middle points between the bulk power grid and electric lines.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — Strong winds Thursday afternoon caused several power outages in the city and toppled a 100-foot tree that grazed the side of a home on the corner of Geneva and Mountain streets as it fell. No one was injured, and the owners were not home when the tree fell, but part of the roof was chipped off and some awning ripped off the front of the house. The tree also bent part of a street sign on the corner of the sidewalk. Neighbor Keri Guevara was walking down the street when she saw the tree come crashing down.

As I watch the way people are having to cope from the results of Hurricane Sandy, particularly the power outages, it occurs to me that we in our city of Glendale will undoubtedly suffer from power outages that will leave the city totally in the black when the Big One hits. When the 1994 Northridge quake hit, we had a gas turbine generator that could start up and run without any outside power for its auxiliaries. Several years later this generator was sold and removed, and is now providing backup emergency power in South Africa.

GLENDALE — A fast-moving rainstorm on Wednesday did not cause significant damage to soaked local hillsides, but officials said they were ready for a new form of danger as strong wind gusts were expected to hit the region and stay through Thursday. The National Weather Service on Wednesday issued a high wind warning until noon Thursday, with sustained winds expected to hit 40 mph and gusts reaching up to 65 mph. With the ground saturated by heavy rains, and powerful winds carrying the potential of causing severe damage — including downed trees, power lines and widespread power outages — the weather agency warned that the wind storm could be "one of the most widespread and strongest wind episode in the recent years.

Southern California Edison officials tried to strike a conciliatory tone on Thursday during a state hearing on the company's response to power outages caused by fierce winds that struck overnight Nov. 30. “We can't control the weather, but we can - and will - improve our response to it,” Edison President Ron Litzinger told members of the California Public Utilities Commission and about 200 residents who gathered at the Temple City High School...

Equipment failure combined with high energy use led to a number of power outages in La Crescenta during the July "heat storm," according to a Southern California Edison official. Christine McLeod, regional public affairs manager for the utility, said a pole-mounted transformer display near Orange and La Crescenta failed during the heat wave. A replacement unit also failed, she said, leading to a delay before power could be restored to the affected area. The weather anomaly during July caused power outages all around the area, with the highest temperatures experienced on July 26. McLeod had been invited to speak before the Town Council about SCE rate increases, which have drawn complaints from customers.

NORTHWEST GLENDALE — Powerful, gusty winds caused two power outages Tuesday night and uprooted several large trees throughout the city, officials said. A broken tree branch fell on power feeders in the 1300 block of Rossmoyne Avenue about 6 p.m., cutting service to 450 Glendale Water and Power customers for more than an hour, city spokesman Ritch Wells said. At the same time, 2,300 customers in South Glendale lost power for 30 minutes, he said. The cause of the outage was unknown.

A squirrel caused 1,500 homes to briefly lose power Thursday morning in West Glendale, officials said. Glendale Water & Power crews discovered the singed squirrel and short circuit just before 8:30 a.m. at San Fernando Road and Allen Avenue, city spokesman Tom Lorenz said. Power was restored within about 20 minutes. -- Veronica Rocha, Times Community News Follow Veronica Rocha on Google+ and on Twitter: @VeronicaRochaLA

Crews are working to restore power to more than 800 residents who live near Glorietta Avenue and Hermosita Drive after a pine tree took down a utility line, officials said. [Updated 1:06 p.m: Crews were able to restore power to 884 customers as of 12:12 p.m., officials said. ] The pine tree fell sometime after 11 a.m. on the power line for a Glorietta Avenue feeder, prompting 814 residents to lose electricity, Glendale Water & Power officials said. Residents affected by the outage live on North Ramona Avenue, South Moorside Drive, East Verdugo Road and West Rams Horn Court, officials said.

About 150 Glendale Water & Power customers lost power for nearly two hours Tuesday night after a palm frond caused a fuse to open in La Crescenta, officials said. Strong winds blew the palm frond into the fuse about 6:12 p.m. at Fourth Street and Dunsmore Avenue, causing homes in the area to lose power, city officials said. Power was restored about 8:18 p.m. to residents in the area of Third, Fourth and Fifth streets between Dunsmore and Lauderdale avenues. City officials said the outage was the only wind-related issue reported Tuesday night.

A failed relay unit located near a main transformer is to blame for knocking out the power at Glendale Community College on two separate days over a weeklong period, official said Thursday. Electricians were able to repair the equipment Wednesday night after power outages forced administrators to close the campus Nov. 30 and Dec. 5. After turning students away on Wednesday, school resumed Thursday morning after electricians brought the power back after 8 p.m. Wednesday night.

An equipment malfunction at Glendale Community College on Tuesday night caused a second power outage in as many weeks, forcing officials to close the campus into Wednesday. College spokeswoman Wendy Grove said the power failure was likely related to the same equipment. There were no students on campus Wednesday morning. “They haven't let anybody on,” she said. Interim Supt. Jim Riggs met with officials Wednesday morning and said a crew was addressing the problem. More information would be available later in the morning, he said.

All day and night classes for Wednesday have been canceled at Glendale Community College as officials continue to investigate the cause of a campuswide power outage. It's the second time in as many weeks that an equipment malfunction has force officials to close the campus down due to lost power. The most recent outage occurred Tuesday night.  College spokeswoman Wendy Grove said the power failure was likely related to the same equipment. Students who arrived at the campus Wednesday morning were turned away.

As I watch the way people are having to cope from the results of Hurricane Sandy, particularly the power outages, it occurs to me that we in our city of Glendale will undoubtedly suffer from power outages that will leave the city totally in the black when the Big One hits. When the 1994 Northridge quake hit, we had a gas turbine generator that could start up and run without any outside power for its auxiliaries. Several years later this generator was sold and removed, and is now providing backup emergency power in South Africa.

A planned electrical outage scheduled for 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday will affect traffic in the area bound by Chandler Boulevard, Hollywood Way, Magnolia Boulevard and Pass Avenue, police said. The traffic signal at Screenland Drive and Magnolia will be affected by the outage. The traffic signal at Hollywood Way and Magnolia may be also affected. Burbank Water and Power planned the outage to permit the conversion of the distribution voltage from 4kv to 12kv, according to a statement from police.

This post has been updated. Crews are working to restore service to 300 customers who lost electricity Monday night when a small plane crashed in the front yard of a North Glendale home, taking out three power poles. It may take until 2 p.m. to restore power as crews replace the poles, according to an announcement issued by the city this morning. The power outage initially affected more than 2,000 customers. No homes were damaged and no one on the ground was injured when the plane went down shortly after 8 p.m. The 55-year-old pilot was able to get himself out of the wreckage and speak with emergency responders.

Power is out for some Glendale Water & Power customers this morning after a large crane took out several power lines and a power pole while making a turn, officials said. Crews were working to restore power to customers who live in the area of Harvard Street and Maryland Avenue. The total number of customers who lost power was not immediately available. -- Veronica Rocha, Times Community News Tiwtter: @VeornicaRochaLA