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Power outage at Vallejo senior complex lasts 12 hours
Legacy at Sonoma senior complex was built in 1919 as a YMCA. When the power went out for 12 hours, a PG&E outage was ruled out. Still the problem took all day to fix.
VALLEJO, Calif. - Wednesday was especially chilly and dim at a Vallejo senior complex hit with a power outage.
The Legacy at Sonoma on Sonoma Boulevard had dozens of units without electricity from about 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.
"We don't have power on the north wing," said a resident, ushering KTVU inside the cavernous lobby. "And we don't know why, we just woke up to it."
Legacy at Sonoma has more than 100 studio and 1 bedroom units.
PG&E was able to rule out a problem on its end fairly swiftly, but the fix was not simple for building maintenance.
"They looked in the main circuit room and couldn't find anything, so they had to get some electricians to come in and trace it down," said resident Jim Soley, who followed the progress through the day.
Soley was glad his apartment is on a tower floor with ample sunlight so it stays warmer.
"If I have to, I'll bring in extra lights on battery power, but some of these folks are older and they don't have a clue what to do or where to get anything if something happens," he said.
Built in 1919 as a YMCA, the multi-story landmark was known for decades as Casa De Vallejo.
It was gutted in a devastating four-alarm fire in 2008, sparked by an elderly resident smoking on an upper floor.
At the time- under previous owners- fire alarms weren't working and three people were trapped and died.
More than 100 others were displaced.
Casa de Vallejo was sold and renovated and re-opened as Legacy at Sonoma, subsidized apartments for seniors, as before.
Wednesday's daylong outage was inconvenient and potentially expensive for those on fixed incomes.
"Everything in my refrigerator has to be thrown out because we're going on twelve hours," grumbled one resident.
Soley heard the same complaints from neighbors.
"No heat, no refrigerator, people get panicky, and I was a little concerned when we got to 5 o'clock that we might go all night in the dark."
At dusk though, power came back on.
Management was not available to comment, but by phone an on-site maintenance staffer said the repair should last.
"I got home, looked up at the building and saw lights on, thank God," smiled Soley.
As word of the outage was shared on social media, families expressed concern for relatives living in the building.
Volunteers offered up hot food, blankets, and even generators, but fortunately it was all resolved by nightfall.