Owl Traps Dozens in Homes
Updated 11:45 AM PST, Mon, Nov 30, 2009
A shelter-in-place order for parts of Pittsburg was lifted mid-morning Monday after it was determined that a downed high-voltage power line no longer posed a risk to residents.
PG&E says an owl carrying a piece of metal wire struck a PG&E conductor, causing a reaction that knocked out power and sent the high-voltage line dangling down into a neighborhood. The owl was apparently trying to build a nest.
Residents of Wedgewood Drive and nearby streets were contacted by phone early in the morning and told to stay indoors after the 60,000-volt line came down at about 2:30 a.m.
No injuries were reported but a shelter-in-place warning was issued for households in the area, Sarkissian said.
"We just haven't been able to go outside," said Marlena Madero, a resident of Wedgewood Drive.
Madero said her family had been receiving automated calls about the situation since 4:30 a.m.
"We're just kind of stuck here, we're waiting to find out when we can go out," she said at about 10:15 a.m.
A moment later, she received another automated call saying the shelter-in-place order had been lifted.
Judy Forrest, who lives down the street, said her family had been watching the news to see when they could leave.
"Nobody could get out and go to work," she said, including a daughter who works for Wells Fargo in San Francisco.
Sarkissian said at about 10 a.m. that the power line had been de-energized but that it continued to hang down into several backyards. Residents of the affected homes are advised to leave through the front and to avoid their backyards for now.
"Safety is really our top priority," Sarkissian said.
First Published: Nov 30, 2009 11:26 AM PST
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