RICHMOND, CA --
About 1,100 PG&E customers were without power in Richmond this morning due to an outage caused by pole fires, a utility spokeswoman said. The outage, which was reported overnight and affected about 3,000 customers at its peak, is expected to last until 6 p.m., PG&E spokeswoman Cindy Pollard said.
The outage was apparently caused by pole fires caused by a buildup of dust and pollution on the lines, which combined with the heavy moisture and fog overnight to create a mud-like mixture that can spark a fire on the lines, Pollard said.