"You can see these are some awfully big power lines behind us so we need to make sure that not only the responders are safe but also the community's safe and everybody's staying out of the danger area," said Danny Wristen with the Visalia Fire Department.
Firefighters cleared the area and warned neighbors to stay in their homes while Southern California Edison shut off the power.
City of Visalia Solid Waste says one of its trucks was crossing Giddings Ave when the top of the truck snagged one of the power lines. It happened at 9:30 a.m. during heavy rain.
"When they look out their windows they can only see up so far so that combined with the rain probably had something to do with this accident," said Earl Nielson with the Visalia Solid Waste Dept.
Fire officials say the rain coupled with potentially live wires made the situation dangerous.
"A lot of hazards associated with power lines on the ground, especially in wet weather like this you can be standing 10-20 feet away and be in a puddle and still be potentially part of the problem," said Wristen.
By the afternoon, So Cal Edison and other crews were working to repair the pole and the lines. Neighbors who stood by and watched said they were alarmed by what they saw and heard.
"We saw the sparks and everything; and the TV went off and when I looked outside I didn't see anything, but then I went outside I went ooh it's on top of the roof!" said neighbor Alex Flores.
Edison is trying to get everything fixed by nightfall, but workers here tell me there are at least several more hours of work to be done here Monday night.
