Given the details at this point — large boom just before 11:30 PM, reports of a flash in the night sky, limited power outage near 17th and Denny — it sounds like a blown transformer may have woken a few of you up and sent others to bed late Wednesday night. UPDATE: A power line has fallen along E Denny Way near 17th Ave.
No details of an outage were immediately posted to the Seattle City Light system status page but we have one report of a very limited power failure at 17th and Denny.
UPDATE: Seattle Fire’s Ladder 10 truck has been dispatched to 17th Ave and E Denny Way near Group Health to deal with reported down wires. Seattle City Light is reportedly en route.
UPDATE — 12 AM: City Light reports more than 350 customers without power in the area and reports a 6 AM estimate for restoring service.
Around 11:26 PM, one large boom echoed through the area southeast of Volunteer Park. Police were sent to the area as residents called 911 to report possible gunfire or firework according to SPD radio dispatches.
UPDATE — 5/30/13 9:30 AM: City Light tells us a tree branch made contact with one of the utility’s wires in the area, causing the massive short in the system, subsequent boom and downing of the wire.
Looks like it is probably a transformer that blew at 18th and Denny. There’s one with a big hole in it with shards all around the street. It was nice to meet some neighbors investigating the boom/flash. One said City Light has been called.
I was standing there when the City Light guy checked out that tranformer between 18th and 19th. What looks like a hole is just paint missing. He said that’s common with time. The crew cut the damaged line at 18th and at the alley between there and 17th. I’m not sticking around to see if they begin repair tonight or not.
Well, so much for my amateur, in-the-dark lineman skills. Thanks for clearing that up!
Now I don’t feel so crazy! I saw the flash last night from my apartment and was very curious.
[…] There was a large boom Wednesday night around 11:30 […]