Downed lines leave hundreds without power in Moreno Valley

Hundreds of residents in Moreno Valley were without power Tuesday evening after several electrical lines fell onto homes and into streets, authorities said.

Southern California Edison received reports of a power outage at 3:28 p.m. in the area south of John Kennedy Drive and north of Dana Lane. Crews arrived to discover several downed power lines sprawled across 25 homes in a 1-mile radius, said Rick Griggs, a firefighter with California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection/Riverside County Fire Department. 

"There are power lines on top of homes, in pools, across fences, in the streets and people's yards," he said. "Obviously, there is a public safety concern."

No injuries were reported. But Edison and the Fire Department urged residents to remain indoors as crews worked to secure the area. 

At the peak, 2,500 residents were without power. Electricity has been restored to most of the homes in the area, but at least 200 people in the "critical area" are in the dark, an Edison spokeswoman said.

The cause of the downed power lines is unknown, but wind does not appear to be a factor, Griggs said. He described weather conditions as a "relatively breezy afternoon."

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