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Power Outage in San Bernardino Leads to School Closures

News Summary

A major power outage in San Bernardino impacted approximately 17,000 customers and resulted in the closure of 14 local schools. The outage occurred early Tuesday morning due to a locomotive striking electrical equipment. Despite the disruptions, St. Bernardine Medical Center continued to operate. The situation raised safety concerns as rising temperatures were expected, prompting school officials to prioritize student wellbeing. Classes are anticipated to resume the following day, emphasizing the ongoing issues with the reliability of power infrastructure.

San Bernardino, California – A significant power outage affected approximately 17,000 customers in San Bernardino early Tuesday morning, prompting the closure of 14 local schools. The outage began around 5 a.m. after a locomotive struck grid equipment in the area. All power was restored by noon, according to a representative from Southern California Edison.

The San Bernardino City Unified School District made the decision to close several schools that day due to the power outage and the forecasted rising temperatures, which were expected to reach the high 90s and potentially into the triple digits. The affected schools included Chávez, Salinas, Shandin Hills, Kendall Complex, Holcomb, Hillside, North Park, Cajon High School, Palm, Vermont, North Verdemont, Kimbark, Newmark, and Muscoy. While most campuses remained operational during the power disruption, concerns for student safety were heightened because many classrooms lacked proper ventilation in the extreme heat.

The incident occurred when an Edison transmission line fell onto a BNSF locomotive situated in a rail yard on 4th Street, as confirmed by Capt. Shawn Millerick of the San Bernardino County Fire Department. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries stemming from the event.

As the power outage unfolded, there were widespread disruptions in the northern part of San Bernardino, with police reporting that stoplights were not functioning in several locations. However, St. Bernardine Medical Center managed to operate normally despite the electrical problems affecting much of the area.

This latest power outage was the second that caused school closures in the county in as many days; classes were previously canceled in the Bear Valley Unified School District due to another power-related incident. According to information from Edison’s outage website, five separate outages were reported in San Bernardino County, all logged at 5:08 a.m. However, a representative suggested that this might have been due to a data entry error.

Parents were promptly notified about the closures and were requested to pick up their children as soon as possible. Classes at the schools affected by this outage are expected to resume on Wednesday.

The situation highlights ongoing concerns about the reliability of power infrastructure in the area, particularly in extreme weather conditions. With rising temperatures and safety concerns on the minds of parents and school officials alike, the events of the day have underscored the need for preparedness against such disruptions in the future.

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