8,270 Boyle Heights homes lose power during heat wave

Equipment overloading at a distributing station left 8,270 Boyle Heights homes without power Wednesday afternoon, according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The area is expected to have its power restored by midnight, but it comes amidst a heat wave sweeping through the region.

That heat likely helped lead to the overloaded equipment. Boyle Heights residents are being encouraged by the LADWP to reduce their power use to help alleviate the strain on the overloaded equipment.

"During periods of excessively hot temperatures for extended periods of time, electrical equipment can become overheated as customers typically operate air conditioners all at once, increasing the strain on neighborhood power distribution equipment," LADWP said in a release.

LADWP crews were working to restore power to those affected, rerouting power to less overloaded circuits as well as installing extra equipment, according to the utility. They've asked Boyle Heights residents not to call to report the outage, as they're already working on it.

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There were 3,000 customers in the Los Angeles area affected by smaller outages in neighborhoods including Hollywood Hills, Reseda, Lake Balboa, Sun Valley, Pacoima, Van Nuys and Arleta, according to the LADWP.

People are asked to conserve energy by keeping their thermostats set at 78 degrees, closing their curtains/blinds/drapes to keep out sunlight and to avoid using major appliances between 2 and 10 p.m.