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Ponderosa fell from risky Spokane hillside, cutting off power to thousands Friday

The City of Spokane tweeted a photo of the large ponderosa pine that fell and cut off power to more than 8,500 households Friday night. (City of Spokane)
By Maggie Quinlan maggieq@spokesman.com(509) 459-5135

A large ponderosa pine that had been scheduled for removal Saturday fell Friday night, causing a power outage that affected more than 8,500 homes at its peak, according to a tweet from the City of Spokane.

Most households had power back by 10:30 p.m., Avista’s expected restoration time, and the tree at the intersection of Clarke Avenue and Elm Street is diced up. Crews did not plan more work at the intersection Saturday, the tweet said.

Houses without power reached from Peaceful Valley and Browne’s Addition north up to Francis Avenue Friday night.

The city had been concerned about trees falling on the hillside where the ponderosa stood and had geotechnical engineering team assess the hill Wednesday, according to a City of Spokane tweet.

The city had already planned to turn off power to Peaceful Valley for nine hours Saturday while it cleared trees.Maggie Quinlan can be reached at (509) 459-5135 or at maggieq@spokesman.com.