City shuts power lines in fire zone; blackouts reported in Valley *

* Updated with blackout news at 10:30 a.m.

City officials are urging Los Angeles residents to conserve power today after they took the rare step of deactivating some transmission lines in the Sylmar fire zone out of fear that winds could blow them down and cause more blazes.

The Department of Water and Power said transmission lines along the Interstate 5 corridor north of Sylmar were taken out of service this morning. These lines are considered a major source of imported power to Los Angeles from power plants outside California.

"These high-voltage power lines are critical to maintaining a steady supply of power to the city, especially as demand for energy rises throughout the day," the DWP said in a statement. "If they remain out and are unable to return to normal service as demand increases, the LADWP may need to initiate rotating power outages in parts of the city."

Several blackouts were reported in the San Fernando Valley, with entire neighborhoods losing power and traffic jammed because traffic signals were off. There were also reports of stalled elevators.

There has been growing concern about the danger posed by power lines during the fire-prone Santa Ana wind season. The Sesnon fire last month was sparked by a downed power line.

Power lines were the suspected culprit behind at least five of the fires that burned across Southern California in October 2007, including one in San Diego that consumed 200,000 acres, destroyed 1,041 homes and killed two people.

But placing lines underground is highly expensive -- with some cost estimates as high as $1 million a mile.

The California Public Utilities Commission investigated last year's Witch fire in San Diego and concluded in a report last month that San Diego Gas & Electric Co. failed to properly maintain power lines that were felled by the wind. The utility has strongly disputed the finding.

There have been discussion in San Diego of shutting off some utility lines during heavy Santa Ana winds.

-- Shelby Grad

Comments

[Steve]

I feel for you folks, maybe it is time to move out of state. The annual CA disaster, fire, riots, earthquakes gets old. It is an option and the reality is the hell hole will never get better and is now in decline.

[karen chu]

put the lines underground