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Valley Village power outage affects 15,000 people
LADWP power outages on June 23, 2016.
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Screengrab of LADWP map
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circa 1955: An ordinary electric lightbulb seems to explode on contact when it is dropped from a height of six feet. (Photo by Al Barry/Three Lions/Getty Images)
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Al Barry/Getty Images
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Update, 2 p.m. - Power has been restored to 1,000 customers, according to LADWP spokesperson Ellen Cheng.
15,000 people were without power in the Valley Village area after an outage that began Thursday morning — and it's because of one bird.
At approximately 8:48 a.m. a crow that came into contact with a 34,500 volt circuit breaker in Distributing Station 57, which caused an equipment failure, according to LADWP.
Crews from the utility are on the scene, working to reroute the power. LADWP has no estimate on when power will be restored.
Numerous traffic lights have gone dark and LA Department of Transportation personnel are directing traffic at busy intersections. Motorists are asked to be extra cautious while driving in the area.
LADWP power outages on June 23, 2016.
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Screengrab of LADWP map
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"We want to encourage people to go to their libraries, their shopping centers or the grocery store," LADWP spokesperson Ellen Cheng tells KPCC. "But of course if those businesses are located in the impacted area, then if you're able to go a little bit outside of your neighborhood, we just want to make sure people are making their health and safety a priority. We definitely want people to stay cool and to do so in a safe manner."
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For the latest updates, check LADWP's Twitter feed.
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