Transformer Explodes, Slows Highway Traffic

An electrical transformer exploded in Newhall Thursday, leaving 2,500 customers without power and snarling rush-hour traffic for more than an hour, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported.

No one was injured in the 5 p.m. explosion at Placerita Canyon Road and Sierra Highway, Sgt. Tom Davidheiser said. Cars were backed up for more than two miles along Sierra Highway while deputies directed traffic because traffic signals lost power, Davidheiser said.

Power was restored about 6 p.m., said Rosalie Gnam, Santa Clarita Valley area manager for the Southern California Edison Co. The explosion was apparently caused by a bird that flew into the pole-mounted transformer, she said.