Thousands were without power in the Lake Arrowhead area Saturday as a snow storm swept through the region, toppling trees and downing electrical wires.
About 10,300 customers were in the dark by 5:30 p.m. Saturday after almost three times as many in the area were impacted by outages the day before, according to Southern California Edison.
The utility said most of the outages in its coverage area Saturday were due to the storm, which has also resulted in multiple road closures in the Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear areas.
Crews were working to restore power, but intermittent road closures along State Route 18 and 330 have created access issues into the Lake Arrowhead area, according to the utility.
“Damage assessment and repairs are ongoing and we do not expect to have all customers restored overnight,” Edison said in a news release.
Powerful winds and heavy snowfall resulted in numerous reports of downed wires in the Arrowhead, Idyllwild, Redlands and Antelope Valley areas.
Residents and visitors in nearby Crestline described difficult conditions as the small mountain community was left in the dark since Thanksgiving Day.
“No Wi-Fi, no electricity, so it’s like we’re back in the 1800s,” Fabrice Vignati, who came from L.A., said.
Some described restaurants running on backup generators and toppled trees everywhere.
Residents in the area were reminded to call 911 if they see any dangling wires or downed power lines, and to refrain from touching them or stepping in water where there are downed lines. It’s also dangerous to try to remove any broken tree limbs that have come in contact with power lines.
Edison recommended that residents have battery-operated radios and flashlights on hand.
“We are working to restore power as quickly and safely as possible,” the utility said. “We understand how disruptive a power outage can be and thank customers for their patience.”
Residents impacted by the outage can get free firewood at the Crestline/Lake Gregory Chamber of Commerce at 24385 Lake Drive, San Bernardino County Fire officials said, adding that supplies are limited.
Firewood is also being provided at county fire stations on 737 Grandview Dr. in Twin Peaks and 301 Hwy. 173 in Lake Arrowhead. Tomorrow, residents can get the firewood at 33596 Green Valley Lake Rd. in Green Valley Lake.
“We encourage affected residents to only take what is needed to get through the night,” the department said on Facebook. “Depending on the status of power restoration, additional firewood may be made available tomorrow for customers who remain impacted by the storm outage.”
It’s unclear when power will be restored to the area.
