PRESS RELEASE

Earlier today at 4:45 PM, an underground SCE vault fire occurred in downtown Long Beach, resulting in a power outage which initially impacted an area roughly bounded by Spring Avenue to Shoreline Drive and from Santa Fe Avenue to Alamitos Avenue. This initial outage impacted approximately 30,000 customers. As of 7:45 PM power was restored to most of the impacted area. As of now, there are approximately 1,000 customers without power in the affected area. Southern California Edison continues to work diligently on identifying the problem to restore services as soon as possible. There is no estimated time frame for restoration of services until Southern California Edison crews can conduct an adequate assessment.

Based on the power outage and the unknown duration of the event, additional fire department units have been requested to support the impacted areas. The Long Beach Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Long Beach Search and Rescue program have also been activated to support community notification and outreach efforts. Anticipating that the power outage may extend through the evening, the City of Long Beach plans to open a shelter location. Specific information will be provided when it becomes available.

There have been no reports of injuries. Residents needing help are advised to call “911” for emergencies. For non-emergencies call 562-435-6711. The City of Long Beach is ready to assist and provide support as needed. We will continue to keep the public informed with updates as they become available. LBPD has deployed an enhanced patrol presence to the affected area. There are over 500 traffic intersections in the area, many of which are without power, and Public Works is deploying available power generators to most critical intersections to provide power for traffic signals. Traffic signals are working on Shoreline Drive to I-710 Freeway and along the Alamitos Avenue corridor. The City has activated the Emergency Operations Center, and multiple department representatives are actively engaged in monitoring and responding to issues as they arise.

We ask that all residents and visitors be mindful of their activities tonight, and be mindful of caring for your neighbors, seniors, and children. Please be careful while walking around in the dark. Please use flashlights at all times to maintain your personal safety and prevent unnecessary accidents. Please stay out of elevators as they may fail to operate thus potentially trapping occupants. Please use extreme caution while driving and be careful of unlit intersections and streets. Remember that intersections without power must be treated as a four way stop.

Please continue to pay attention to social media updates using #lbPWRout2:
@LongBeachCity
@LBFD
@LBPD
@SCE
@LongBeachPW

Also, visit www.longbeach.gov and Long Beach City on Facebook.

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