APS expects to have electrical power restored to most of downtown by tonight

Arizona Public Service said it expects to restore power to most of downtown Phoenix by tonight after a fire late Sunday disrupted service and resulted in the death of one worker and an injury to another.

Four business customers lost power in the accident, which the company is still investigating. Those businesses are the Wells Fargo tower, the Phoenix Municipal Building, the Maricopa County Administrative Building and the Phoenix Convention Center South Hall.

Other structures had operated with partial electricity, including the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, though full power has been restored to the hotel. Maricopa County Superior Court operations were closed Monday but open Tuesday.

The county voluntarily closed the administrative building at 301 W. Jefferson St. and moved operations to a structure at 401 W. Jefferson to help APS prevent rolling brownouts in the area, according to a statement from the county treasurer’s office.

The administration building is scheduled to reopen today at 8 a.m.

The worker killed in Sunday’s fire was identified by APS as Rick Castillo, a company electrician.

Another employee was injured in the accident that occurred below ground near First Avenue and Washington Street and disrupted Valley Metro’s Light Rail service for part of Monday.

The injured man sustained burns and was treated at a hospital and released.

The two APS employees were replacing a cable in an underground vault that houses electrical infrastructure. During this scheduled maintenance, an electrical flash and subsequent fire occurred.