A transformer explosion in North Lewiston knocked out electricity for more than 1,100 Avista customers Thursday evening, triggering a response from utility crews and law enforcement across several busy intersections in the city.
The outage stretched across a broad corridor, from the 21st and Main streets area up toward 12th Avenue. Avista initially projected power would be restored by 11:30 p.m., but crews managed to bring service back roughly an hour ahead of schedule — around 10:30 p.m.
Police Step In as Traffic Signals Go Dark
While repair crews worked to restore power, Lewiston police officers took up positions at several high-traffic intersections to keep vehicles moving safely. For approximately 30 minutes, drivers were without functioning traffic signals and had to treat intersections as four-way stops. Officers eventually cleared those locations once electricity was restored and signals came back online.
Authorities also noted that some officers may have been responding to unrelated calls during the same window, adding to the demands on the department during the outage period. Traffic returned to normal conditions following restoration of power.
This is not the first recent disruption to hit Lewiston. An earlier power outage affecting more than 1,100 customers struck the city on the same evening, and a shop fire left a building a total loss in another part of Lewiston in recent days, highlighting a stretch of public safety challenges for local responders.
What Comes Next
Avista has not released additional details on the cause or extent of damage to the transformer. Residents and drivers in North Lewiston are encouraged to monitor Avista’s outage map for updates should similar incidents occur. Lewiston police have not indicated any ongoing traffic concerns related to Thursday’s outage.