A downed wire near the New Haven Line tracks off of West Avenue caused the outage Monday across downtown Darien from the railroad bridge along Route 1 to the Interstate 95 overpass, a utility spokesman said.
“I don’t have a definitive cause as to why it came down,” said Mitch Gross, a spokesman for Eversource (the new name of Connecticut Light & Power, among other utilities).
There was a report of an explosion, but it wasn’t part of the problem or a cause of the outage, Gross said. When an electricity line goes down, it’s often accompanied by a loud pop or explosive sound by a device called a “cutout fuse,” he said. That’s what happened in this case, he said.
The cutout fuse “sits next to the transformer and cuts power when a problem occurs,” Gross said. “It works just like the circuit breaker in your home – cutting off power to prevent further damage to the electrical system. When the fuse cuts the power there is a loud “bang” which sounds like something exploded as well as a bright flash of light.”
The bang itself is normal, not itself dangerous and indicates the safety system is working as intended, he said.
Portable stop signs were stationed at street corners when traffic lights lost power on Monday afternoon downtown. This is the corner of Corbin Drive and the Post Road.
Power went out early in the afternoon, at roughly 2 p.m., and crews worked all afternoon on it. At 6:30 p.m., a crew was finishing up work on the Post Road just east of the Interstate 95 overpass at Exit 11, Gross said. Power it was restored at about 7 p.m., he said.
Many businesses downtown put up handwritten signs on the front door saying they were closed. The Post Office on Corbin Drive did the same. Darien Sports Shop stayed open with the help of generators. Some restaurants were entirely empty by 2:30 p.m. (and some normally are on Monday, anyway). Bodega Taco Bar let diners finish lunch with the lights off.
Eversource advises that if you ever see a power line down, don’t try to walk near it or even drive near it. Assume it’s “live” and dangerous. Call 911 immediately. Any customers with power problems can call Eversource at 800-286-2000.