SOUTH BEND -- A fire in the underground electrical grid late Thursday prompted officials from Indiana Michigan Power to cut power to downtown South Bend as a precaution.
Mark Robinson, a spokesman for the power company, said first indications of a problem came around 10:30 p.m. Thursday. By 12:30 a.m. Friday, the entire downtown grid was taken offline as a precaution, he said.
The estimated restoration time is 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Robinson said.
"They're still working on the cause; however, it does appear there was extensive damage," Robinson said.
At a mid-morning, press conference, Robinson said the fire was contained to a single vault. Four of five downtown circuits feed through the affected vault, which prompted utility company officials to shutdown those circuits as a precaution, he said.
Crews from Fort Wayne along with Columbus, Ohio have been dispatched to assist local crews in assessing the damage, determining the cause, and making repairs, Robinson said.