UPDATE: Bird on a Wire Ignites Transformer Fire, Knocks Out Power
PALM DESERT - A crow on a powerline sparked a fire at a power transformer located behind the Karns Administration Building adjacent to St. Margaret's Episcopal Church along Highway 74 near the Haystack intersection in Palm Desert. The electrocuted bird knocked out a powerline and caused a power outage for about 1,000 customers late Sunday, according to a spokesperson at Southern California Edison.
The fire and outage happened about 11:32 p.m. Crews spent Memorial Day restoring power and repairing the damaged transformer and powerline.
A spokesperson for the church said some minor damage was done to the administration building. The extent of damage is not yet known.
SCE said full restoration to all customers was exopected by 6 p.m. Monday.
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