Apartment complex has power outage

The Petaluma Fire Department received a report at 8:42 p.m. that there was an electrical problem at the apartments, on Lakeville Circle, said Battalion Chief Russ Rasmussen.

When crews arrived, they found that their was a partial blackout, affecting the 500 block within the complex that contains some 50 residential units.

A resident reported that the power in his unit had gone out and then came back on for a short period of time, causing his television and other appliances to then spark and smoke. Other residents also reported having electrical problems and the smell of smoke in their apartments, Rasmussen said.

Fire crews shut off the main breaker for all residential apartment in the 500 block, and used thermal image equipment and electrical testers to check each unit. No active fire was discovered, but the crews unplugged some damaged appliances and electronic equipment, causing the power in unit to be turned off for several hours.

PG&E workers arrived at the scene, and determined that the power problem and outage were caused by a malfunctioning transformer in the area, Rasmussen said.

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