Downed power line shuts down Links Avenue

A downed power line spraying fire and sparks shut down a downtown Sarasota street for several hours Friday until a utility crew could shut off the current.

The line, which fell across Links Avenue near Ringling Boulevard, hissed for at least two hours before linemen were able to shut off the current and extinguish the fire.

It caused some anxious moments for Jillian Polk, an attorney with Syprett Meshad law office near the downed line. 

She was checking in at the office when she saw the fire trucks and the sparking line. “I nearly had a heart attack,” she said.

The firm’s administrator, Patricia Roby, said she had inspected the building at 10:30 a.m. and noticed the downed line, which was not yet on fire, she said. She said she reported it to Florida Power & Light at 10:30 a.m.

Police and fire personnel blocked off Links Avenue until utilities crews arrived. The fire was finally extinguished at about 1:15 p.m. 

Photo by Michael Harris