Update at 3:20 p.m. — The number of outages is down to just over 600, according to Dominion. Police are in the process of removing cones from intersections with traffic signals that are working again.
Earlier: More than 3,500 homes and businesses are currently without power in Arlington due to a reported transformer fire.
The outage is centered around the Clarendon and Lyon Park neighborhoods. Initial reports suggest that a tree fell on power lines somewhere in the area and sparked the transformer fire that is causing the large outage.
Traffic signals are said to be dark at numerous busy intersections. Police are responding to assist with traffic control.
Another several hundred Dominion customers were initially reported to be in the dark around Courthouse, though power is back on in most of the neighborhood.
One office worker in Courthouse described experiencing 3-4 power surges that “went through the building like a wind blowing… about 2 minutes from start to finish.”
In addition to calls about non-functioning traffic lights, police and fire radio channels have been busy with reports of smoke coming from sidewalk grates — a normal occurrence in commercial areas during outages, caused by diesel generators starting up.
As of 2 p.m., Dominion’s website estimates a timeframe of between 5-8 p.m. for restoration of power.
Looks like there’s a power outage right now in Clarendon. It’s not just residential; some street lights are also out. CC: @arlnowdotcom
— Jonathan Rick ✍️ (@jrick) September 13, 2022