Watertown Fire Rescue (WFR) crews responded to multiple incidents involving downed power lines following a severe storm that passed through the area last night. The incidents, which occurred throughout the city, necessitated the involvement of the Watertown Police Department and Watertown Municipal Utility.
The first call came in shortly before 7:00 p.m., reporting a downed power line at the intersection of 11th Street and 1st Avenue NE. When WFR crews arrived, they discovered that a fallen tree had downed power lines onto several vehicles parked in a nearby driveway. Fortunately, the power line was confirmed to be de-energized upon their arrival, reducing the immediate risk.
As crews responded to the initial scene, another urgent call came in at 7:05 PM about two power poles that had snapped and fallen across the roadway at 1528 17th Street SE, just north of the Premier Softball complex. This was a more serious incident, with a large energized power line colliding with a home on the west side of the street. The contact left a burn mark on the home and caused damage to the exterior gas line. Firefighters quickly turned off the gas and conducted a thorough inspection to ensure no fires had spread to the interior of the structure.
Later, at 7:54 p.m., WFR was dispatched to a third incident in the 1700 block of 4th Avenue SW, where a tree had fallen onto a power line and made contact with the ground. Crews secured the area and waited for Watertown Municipal Utilities to arrive to repair the live line.
Watertown Fire Rescue emphasized the importance of public safety during such large-scale incidents, reminding residents to stay indoors and off the roads. Crews reported seeing several vehicles attempting to navigate around emergency vehicles with activated lights, and some drivers failing to pull over, delaying their response to the various calls for service. WFR thanks the Watertown Police Department and Watertown Municipal Utilities for their valuable assistance at all incident locations.
