Power outages hit Washington DC, caused by small explosion

A power outage struck the Washington DC area Tuesday, cutting off everything from the White House to the State Department as well as the city’s public transit system and privately owned buildings.
Officials said it was caused by a small explosion and fire at a power substation in southern Maryland. After firefighters extinguished the “small fire,” fire officials said the power was shut down and all fires were out. The fire department’s information officer Bill Smith said the incident was likely an accident and there was no indication of arson or a terrorism connection. A Homeland Department official said: “"At this time, there is no indication that this outage is the result of any malicious activity. The Department is monitoring the power outage."