High winds knocked over a tree that fell on a power line in La Grange Friday afternoon.
The tree hit the line behind a house on the 300 block of Ninth Avenue and caused the line to flare. The small fire melted the siding on the garage of the home next door.
“The tree fell on the line and there was a huge explosion — for real,” said the homeowner who did not want to be identified.
“I was taking logs to the fire pit when I saw it and I called 911 right away,” she said.
Capt. Dave Rapp of the La Grange Fire Department said the department was ready for the high winds.
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“We’re prepared for it. We’ve called in off-duty personnel to supplement the on-duty shift,” she said.
At the same time as firefighters were keeping an eye on the property on Ninth Avenue to make sure the wire didn’t flare again, Rapp said there were reports of four or five other downed lines in the village.
High winds are thought to be responsible for a power outage in part of Oak Brook that began just before 1 p.m. Friday, said Public Works Director Doug Patchin.
The village’s Butler Government Center, 1200 Oak Brook Road, and Public Works Department, 3003 Jorie Boulevard, both remained opened, using backup power. The Oak Brook Public Library, 600 Oak Brook Road, closed after the power went out, Patchin said.
He said at 3:30 p.m. that traffic signals were out at 31st and York Road, Dover Drive and York, and partially operating at 22nd and York. Patchin said ComEd gave no indication of when power is expected to be restored.
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