Desperate, Some Resort to Powering Homes from Street Lights

City of Pasadena officials have issued an alert urging residents who are still without power to refrain from opening electrical pole boxes to secure electricity.

Officials have received reports of some residents opening pole boxes at the base of street lights and stringing wire from the boxes to their homes, and caution that the voltage in most boxes is much too high for individual homes. This practice is illegal as well as extremely hazardous to people and structures, they say.

Pasadena Water and Power officials have been contacting households without electricity with updates on restoration of services.

Power was restored to several homes today and PWP crews will continue working throughout the night and for as long as it takes to ensure power to all homes is restored as quickly as possible.

Robinson Park Center, 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave., will open at 7 p.m. tonight to provide a warm place for residents without power.