Power outage hits part of downtown Fresno

A power outage struck downtown Fresno on Monday morning, initially affecting 642 Pacific Gas & Electric Co. customers, the utility said.

PG&E spokesman Denny Boyles said the outage was caused when an electrician working on a new apartment complex near downtown struck an underground electrical cable while digging in the alley between Fulton Street and Van Ness Avenue, between East Stanislaus and Calaveras streets. The outage was reported about 9 a.m.

The outage centered on the downtown Mural District and reached as far north as Divisadero Street and west to Highway 99. By early in the afternoon, five locations remained without power.

Boyles added that contractors, electricians or others doing any digging work are encouraged to call 811 a couple of days in advance for crews to pinpoint the location of any underground utilities, including cables for power and communications or gas pipelines.

This story was originally published April 18, 2016 at 10:04 AM with the headline "Power outage hits part of downtown Fresno."