Blackout hits northern area after explosion, fire

An explosion and fire at an electric substation threw much of northern Puerto Rico into darkness late Sunday in a setback for the U.S. territory’s efforts to fully restore power more than five months after Hurricane Maria started the longest blackout in U.S. history.

The island’s Electric Power Authority said several municipalities were without power, including parts of the capital, San Juan, but they were optimistic it could be restored within a day as they worked to repair a substation.

It was not known what caused Sunday’s fire, which was quickly extinguished. Officials said the explosion knocked two other substations offline.