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Early-morning power outage leaves nearly 6,000 in the dark across south Bellingham Bellingham, WA – Thousands of homes and businesses in south Bellingham woke up without electricity today after a Puget Sound Energy (PSE) substation issue triggered a widespread outage shortly after 7:25 a.m. Saturday, June 27. According to PSE’s outage map, 5,948 customer meters from Fairhaven to Happy Valley lost service, silencing neighborhood coffee shops, darkening traffic signals on 12th Street and cutting power to Western Washington University’s south campus facilities. Emergency crews converge on McKenzie & 13th Bellingham Fire Department units responded within minutes to reports of “electrical arcing” at the McKenzie Avenue substation, eyewitnesses said. Firefighters secured the scene while PSE technicians isolated damaged equipment and began rerouting load to adjoining feeders. No injuries or structural fires were reported. Restoration ahead of schedule PSE originally posted an 11:00 a.m. restoration target, but line crews completed repairs and re-energized the grid at 10:00 a.m., shaving an hour off the estimate. Spokesperson Dana Rasmussen attributed the outage to a failed breaker panel; the exact cause remains under investigation. What residents experienced • Cold coffee and closed doors: Independent cafés along Harris Avenue delayed opening until power returned. • Commuter confusion: Unpowered signals on Chuckanut Drive forced drivers to treat intersections as four-way stops, slowing morning traffic. • Campus impact: WWU maintenance staff switched residence halls to emergency generators to keep elevators and network equipment online. How to prepare for the next outage • Update your PSE text alerts and keep external battery packs charged. • Install surge protectors to shield appliances when power is restored. • Store a flashlight and spare batteries in an easy-to-reach drawer. Wildlife surprise as power returns Minutes after electricity was restored, a pod of four orca whales surfaced off Boulevard Park, drawing dozens of residents to the suddenly humming boardwalk after a silent morning without household noise. Local marine biologists say summertime transits through Bellingham Bay are uncommon but not unprecedented. What’s next PSE will inspect the McKenzie substation throughout the weekend and file a detailed incident report with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission. Customers who experienced equipment damage can submit claims through PSE’s customer care portal. Stay updated on Bellingham power outages, traffic conditions and community alerts by following: • PSE Outage Map (pse.com/outage) • City of Bellingham Emergency Management (cob.org/ready) • Whatcom News push notifications for real-time neighborhood reports.