LOS ANGELES – Southern California Edison says a "wiring error" caused a brief power outage that affected 100,000 customers.
The utility on Wednesday said the error occurred Tuesday morning at a Torrance substation where electrical components were being modified as part of a project to improve reliability in the South Bay area near Los Angeles.
Customers in Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Hawthorne, Gardena and Torrance lost power for up to about 80 minutes.
One customer, a refinery operated by PBF Energy in Torrance, evacuated many of its employees and burned off petroleum products as a safety measure, creating a flare that could be seen for miles.
Edison says it's halted the reliability project until the accident is reviewed.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
