A fire in an electrical panel at an Iberdrola facility, located next to number 33 on Tres Forques Avenue in Valencia, caused a power outage affecting approximately 3,000 homes in the area for just under an hour. According to the electric company, power was restored to 55% of affected customers within 73 minutes of the underground line failure, and to 90% within 92 minutes.
The incident occurred around five in the afternoon this Saturday, when residents noticed smoke emanating from the meter installation in the building's ground floor, accessible only from the street. "I saw the smoke and when I approached the installation, I heard explosions," commented one of the evacuated residents, who was waiting to return home. "I told my wife, who is pregnant, to get out because of the smoke." The owner of one of the affected businesses, an industrial stationery shop, was also present, having been called to check on the damage.
Local Police officers were dispatched to the scene, cordoning off the area and diverting traffic towards Giorgeta Avenue. Firefighters and technicians from the electric company also attended. Residents were allowed back into their homes after the Police removed the seal, once firefighters had secured the installation. However, technicians warned that full power restoration could take several hours.
