ST. GEORGE — A power outage struck the central part of St. George Thursday, leaving about 500 customers without power.
The power went out at about 11:35 a.m. affecting an area approximately bounded by Main Street to 700 East, and from St. George Boulevard south to about 700 South, Marc Mortensen, assistant to the city manager, said.
The outage was triggered accidentally by students at the Red Rock Canyon School at 700 East and St. George Boulevard, Mortensen said. The students were playing in the back of the school.
“Someone kicked a ball up and hit the wires up in the poles behind the school,” Mortensen said.
The ball briefly touched two of the high-voltage lines, creating an arc, he said. If there is an arc, the system shuts down for safety reasons.
Traffic lights were out in the affected areas. If the traffic light is out, motorists should treat the intersection as a four-way stop, Mortensen said. Power was expected to be restored by about noon Thursday.
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