A late-night car crash in Redondo Beach caused power outages and a gas fire, closing roads through the next morning.
According to Redondo Beach police, two cars collided at Aviation Boulevard and Carnegie around 11:15 p.m. on Saturday, April 16, striking a nearby utility pole and blowing out a transformer.
Shortly after, a gas leak and fire erupted at the northeast corner of Artesia and Aviation boulevards, destroying a sign and torching a second power utility pole.
According to a Manhattan Beach Public Works employee, crews were able to stop the blaze around 4 a.m. However, to do so, they needed to excavate a gas valve buried near the northwest corner of Artesia and Aviation, “jackhammering all night,” he said.
It’s believed that the fire was caused when the electricity arced across the ground, setting off the gas line.
According to Southern California Edison, 112 customers in the area are currently without electricity. Power is estimated to be restored at 11 a.m.
The condition of the people involved in the car collision is unknown, but according to an RBPD officer on scene there were no fatalities.
