August 6, 2025

Power Outage in San Bernardino Leads to School Closures

here-intlog
August 6, 2025
5:07 am
Milwaukee

News Summary

San Bernardino faced a widespread power outage affecting around 17,000 customers, resulting in the closure of 14 schools due to safety concerns amidst rising temperatures. While most campuses continued to operate, classes were canceled in the affected areas. Power restoration was completed by noon, allowing schools to prepare for a swift return to normalcy. This incident highlights ongoing infrastructure challenges and safety protocols in education during extreme weather conditions.

San Bernardino, California experienced a widespread power outage on Tuesday that affected approximately 17,000 customers throughout the city. The outage was reported early in the morning around 5 a.m. after a locomotive struck grid equipment, leading to significant repercussions for local schools.

The San Bernardino City Unified School District decided to close 14 schools due to the power disruption and rising temperatures. Among the affected schools were Chávez, Salinas, Shandin Hills, Kendall Complex, Holcomb, Hillside, North Park, Cajon High School, Palm, Vermont, North Verdemont, Kimbark, Newmark, and Muscoy. Temperatures were forecast to reach the high 90s and even triple digits, raising safety concerns as many classrooms lacked proper ventilation.

Despite the power outage, most of the district’s campuses continued to operate, but the schools that closed required parents to pick up their children as soon as possible. Classes at the impacted schools are expected to resume on Wednesday.

According to reports from Southern California Edison, power was fully restored by noon on Tuesday. A spokesperson confirmed that the incident occurred when a transmission line fell onto a BNSF locomotive in the rail yard located on 4th Street. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported stemming from this incident.

In addition to the school closures, the outage had a noticeable impact on local infrastructure, with traffic lights in northern San Bernardino malfunctioning due to the lack of power. Meanwhile, St. Bernardine Medical Center continued to operate normally despite the ongoing outage.

This incident marked the second consecutive day that a power outage affected schools in the county. Previously, classes were canceled in the Bear Valley Unified School District the day prior. Edison’s outage website indicated five separate outages within San Bernardino County, all reported around the same time at 5:08 a.m.; however, this was suggested to be a possible data entry error.

The swift response by both the San Bernardino City Unified School District and emergency services ensured that parents were kept informed about the situation as it developed. The decision to close schools was driven by concerns for student safety, amid the rising temperatures and significant power outages in the area.

In summary, Tuesday was marked by a significant power outage in San Bernardino, which led to school closures and increased safety alerts due to extreme heat. With recovery efforts completed by noon, local schools are preparing to welcome students back the following day, ensuring that the disruption to education is minimized as a result of the incident.