Denver Blast Cuts Power to 360,000 in Subzero Cold
DENVER — An estimated 360,000 persons were left without electricity in subzero temperatures for several hours Friday after a transformer at a utility substation exploded, cutting off power to a 36-square-mile area of southeast Denver.
Three public schools were closed because the power outage left buildings cold and dark.
Firefighters put out the blaze 1 1/2 hours after being summoned to the Leetsdale substation at 7:25 a.m. No one was injured.
Public Service Co. of Colorado restored service to most of the affected area by midmorning, but many homes and businesses in a four-square-mile area remained without heat and electricity until 1:30 p.m. Temperatures remained below zero throughout the day.
“They (repair crews) are getting as much operable as they can as quickly as they can,” Public Service Co. spokesman Neal Linkon said. “Our best guess is that at its peak, about 360,000 people were affected.”
It had not been determined what caused the explosion.
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