PORT TOWNSEND — A malfunctioning underground electrical line led to a power outage and evacuation of the Northwind Arts Center, 701 Water St., and the adjacent Boiler Room, according to the Jefferson County Public Utility District.
The culprit in the Friday evening evacuation was a three-phase electric power transformer buried beneath Quincy Street, Barney Burke, PUD commissioner, said Saturday.
“The cable faulted,” he said. “There was a big short.”
Three-phase electric power “is a commercial level of power,” Burke said.
“They were able to restore single-phase power to the arts center,” just enough to get the lights back on but not run air conditioning systems, he said.
Evacuation
The evacuation, led by East Jefferson Fire-Rescue personnel, commenced at about 5:30 p.m. and was completed by 6 p.m., Keppie Keplinger, Fire-Rescue public information officer, said Saturday.
Deputy Chief Ted Krysinski of Fire-Rescue said he made the decision to evacuate because he detected a “distinct electrical smell” upon arrival.
Fire personnel cleared the scene at 6:40 p.m. Keplinger said.
That is when PUD crews took over and began digging through Quincy Street to find the cause of the problem, which was unknown Saturday, Burke said.
Enough electricity to power lighting systems in the arts center building was restored at about 8 p.m., Burke said.
Full restoration of power to affected buildings was not completed until about 1 p.m. Saturday, he said.
There was no damage to either the Northwind Arts Center or the Boiler Room, according to Michael D’Alessandro, Northwind Arts Center executive director, and Colin Cabe, the Boiler Room’s general manager, with both establishments reopened Saturday.