A power pole in Burnaby's Edmonds neighbourhood caught fire the evening of July 13.
BC Hydro said there was a fault on a piece of overhead cable in the area of Salisbury Avenue and Beresford Street near Highgate mall.
"The cable sparked and because it was connected to a wooden pole, a small section of the pole caught fire," Kyle Donaldson, a media relations and issues management spokesperson for BC Hydro, told the NOW in an emailed statement.
The Burnaby Fire Department was "on scene quickly" and put out the fire.
Residents in the area heard small "explosions" that rattled windows. Bystanders watched intently while passing joggers and cyclists glanced and continued on.
An ensuing power outage impacted about 160 people, mostly at a residential and commercial development at 7060 Kingsway, Donaldson said, adding the power needed to remain off so crews could work safely throughout the night.
Power was restored just after 6 a.m. on Friday.
The pole will need to be replaced in the coming weeks, and BC Hydro is still trying to determine the cause of the incident, Donaldson said.
"Safety is our top priority. We know power outages can be frustrating but we thank everyone for their patience while our crews worked as quickly and safely as possible overnight to restore service to the impacted customers," he said.
-With files from Jeremy Hainsworth
