Squirrel causes power outage in Signal Hill

SIGNAL HILL, Calif. (KABC) -- A squirrel that was jumping from one line to another created an arc and zapped out a transformer on Friday, causing a power outage in Signal Hill, police said.

The power outage was affecting 61 Southern California Edison customers west of Cherry Avenue, east of Walnut Avenue, near an elementary school. The outage affected Alvarado Elementary School, nearby homes and a government subsidized complex housing 24 tenants with physical disabilities.

Crews toiled in the heat for eight hours to replace all the equipment that had been shorted out. Power was restored by the afternoon.

Police say they found the squirrel. No further information was available.