SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A short-circuit on a power line near the intersection of Interstate 805 and state Route 905 knocked out electrical service to about 1,600 nearby homes and businesses Tuesday and sparked a small brush fire.
The switch malfunction on a utility pole on Hawken Drive in Otay Mesa occurred shortly before 1 p.m., according to San Diego Gas & Electric and the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
The equipment failure sent melted materials dripping onto the ground, setting grass and other vegetation on fire, SDFRD spokeswoman Monica Munoz said.
It took firefighters about 30 minutes to subdue the flames, which blackened about a half-acre of brushy terrain, Munoz said. No structural damage or injuries were reported.
Utility crews expected to have power restored to the affected areas, which included pars of Nestor, Otay Mesa and San Ysidro, by early evening, SDG&E spokeswoman Jessica Packard said.
