Underground Encino Explosion Knocks Out Power, Snarls Traffic on Ventura Blvd.

By City News Service

By City News Service

An underground vault explosion in Encino Wednesday knocked out power to some businesses and condominium complexes in the area and snarled traffic on Ventura Boulevard.

The explosion was reported at at 2:17 p.m. in the vault at 16430 Ventura Blvd., according to the city fire department.

Carol Tucker of the Department of Water and Power said seven large customers such as condominium complexes and businesses went without power, but it was restored at about 4:30 p.m.

Ventura Boulevard and Hayvenhurst Avenue were blocked while crews made repairs, slowing traffic to a crawl as rush hour approached.

There were no reports of injuries in the blast, the cause of which was not immediately known.