Large portion of East and South Seattle loses power after equipment failure 

At 7:11 p.m. on Nov. 7, residents and businesses in Seattle’s Central District lost electricity. Lights flickered several times before going dark.

The outage stretched from Pine Street down to Beacon Hill.

The outage was caused by an underground electrical vault fire at 29th Avenue and East Cherry Street, affecting about 774 customers, according to Seattle City Light. 

Initial reports described fire and smoke rising from the ground, with some witnesses reporting an explosion.

At 8:14 p.m., first responders extinguished the vault fire with carbon dioxide. A thick white cloud billowed into the street, covering firefighters and bystanders.

Power was initially expected to be restored by 1:20 a.m. While areas north of Cherry Street regained power around 8:35 p.m., customers farther south remained without electricity.

Firefighters turned the scene over to Seattle City Light shortly later.

Preparing for a power outage:

• Assemble an emergency kit. For a power outage, include essentials such as a first aid kit, flashlights, extra batteries, cash, nonperishable food, and bottled water.
• Create a household emergency plan outlining when, where, and how to evacuate. Include communications methods.
• Always keep phones charged.
• Use surge protectors on household electronics.
• If you or a member of your household relies on medical devices or refrigerated medicine, have a backup power plan.

During a power outage:

• Seattle residents can call Seattle City Light’s customer service at 206-684-3000 or the recorded outage hotline at 206-684-7400.
• Use flashlights or battery-powered lamps instead of candles to reduce fire risk.
• Unplug electronic devices and appliances not connected to surge protectors.
• Keep refrigerators and freezers closed to preserve food and medicine.
• Stay away from downed power lines and fallen tree branches.
• Never use gas or propane for heating or cooking inside.

Events like the outage on Friday night are unpredictable. The best anyone can do is to prepare accordingly. Mitigate gas, fire, and electrical hazards. Keep household members in contact and monitor updates from local authorities.