Downed Power Lines After Transformer Sparks Out at 11th Street and Idaho Ave in Santa Monica

4/14/2019: Idaho Avenue was closed and high voltage power lines lay on the ground in one Santa Monica neighborhood. The explosion and power outage began just before 10 am PST.

"I saw flames bouncing around!" said one local resident. "I can see wires hanging down from the power poles. The white box near the tree has major sparks flying from it."

Our witness counted two loud explosions and a large electrical wire came falling down with sparks flying.

The Santa Monica Fire Department was on scene redirecting traffic and investigating, as they awaited Southern California Edison. A fireman said power was out for a 10 square block area and that it would have to wait to be restored until Edison could arrive.

At 11 AM, the Fire Dept reopened the road and left the scene, all hazards having been secured.

Transformers are used for increasing or decreasing the alternating voltages in electric power applications, and for coupling the stages of signal processing circuits. Since the invention of the first constant-potential transformer in 1885, transformers have become essential for the transmission, distribution, and utilization of alternating current electric power.