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 city intersections.
The outage stretched across a broad stretch of the area, affecting residents and businesses from 21st and Main streets north toward 12th Avenue. Avista crews initially projected power would be restored by 11:30 p.m., but crews managed to bring service back online roughly an hour ahead of schedule, around 10:30 p.m.
Officers Step In as Traffic Signals Go Dark
With traffic signals down, Lewiston police deployed to busy intersections to manually direct vehicles through the affected area. For approximately 30 minutes, drivers were required to treat intersections as four-way stops while officers managed traffic flow. Authorities noted that some officers may have been simultaneously handling unrelated calls during the outage. Normal traffic patterns resumed once power was fully restored.
This marks another public safety challenge for Lewiston in recent weeks. A power outage affecting more than 1,100 customers in Lewiston drew significant community attention, and a shop fire that left a building a total loss also tested local emergency resources.
No injuries were reported in connection with Thursday’s outage. Avista has not yet released additional details regarding the cause of the transformer failure or the estimated cost of repairs.
What Comes Next: Avista is expected to assess the damaged equipment and determine what repairs or replacements are needed to prevent a recurrence. Lewiston residents in the affected corridor are encouraged to monitor Avista’s outage map and official communications for updates on infrastructure work in the area.