Fire leads to power outage
Electricity was restored overnight to most of the 8,695 Marysville and Olivehurst residents left in the dark when a fire on Simpson Lane in Marysville Thursday evening knocked out power in the area.
The fire broke out just after 7 p.m. in a homeless encampment on the levee that runs along Simpson Lane between Marysville and Linda.
“After all was said and done, the fire was contained quickly yesterday evening, after mostly burning in an open field and damaging some power lines,” said Yuba
County spokesperson Rachel Rosenbaum on Friday.
Rosenbaum said several homeless residents were evacuated from the area as a safety precaution, but very few
encampments were actually touched by the blaze.
“Most have already returned to that area, which is now in the late mop up stage,” said Rosenbaum.
Paul Moreno, spokesperson for Pacific Gas and Electric Company, said the blaze caused a loss of power to an initial 2,027 Marysville residents and damaged two PG&E wooden transmission poles.
Local officials asked the utility to turn off power in the area at approximately 7:25 p.m., according to Moreno, to protect fire crews working to contain the blaze – causing power outages to an additional 6,623 residents in the area.
“Once it was safe from the fire to respond, PG&E crews restored power to most customers between 10:55 p.m. and midnight, then more at about 2:30 a.m.,”said Moreno.
The utility was able to restore power to the area before the two damaged transmission poles were repaired by rerouting power from other transmission sources, said Moreno.
According to Moreno, about 146 residents remained without power Friday morning but full restoration was expected by 2 p.m.
Assistance is available for those displaced by the fire at the Life Building Center, located at 131 F St., Marysville. Additional resources for those displaced are also available by calling the Homeless Hotline at 749-6811.