LOWER LAKE — A large pine tree fell across power lines at 8 p.m. Wednesday, sparking a fire in the tree and causing the lines to fall, completely blocking HWY 29 south of Lower Lake near Murphy Springs Rd.
It took nearly two hours for officials to extinguish the fire and clear the roadway. The incident affected commuter and other traffic going both directions. Traffic was stalled and then detoured for 1 and a half hours to Spruce Grove Road at Hidden Valley Lake for north-bound traffic, and Spruce Grove Road near Lower Lake for south-bound traffic.
There were no injuries or traffic accidents as a result of the incident. A small spot fire that occurred as a result of the downed power line was quickly extinguished by multiple responding agencies. Lake County Fire Protection District, Clear Lake Area California Highway Patrol, Lake County Sheriff”s Department, Cal-Fire and Pacific Gas and Electric Company were on scene.
P G and E reported 54 customers lost power at 7:55 p.m. A spokesperson reported power was back on for most customers by 10:20 p.m., with two additional customers being picked back up at 4:40 a.m., Thursday.
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com.
