An electrical fire broke out at the corner of 41st and Walnut streets Friday afternoon, shutting off power for some houses near the 4100 block of Walnut Street.
The fire, which started at about 4:40 pm, spread up an electrical pole. Police arrived shortly thereafter and secured the area by blocking off any pedestrian and vehicle traffic around the intersection.
Philadelphia Electric Company officials responded about 30 minutes after the fire.
"I looked out my window and saw smoke everywhere," said College senior Jessica Rotman, who lives at 4044 Walnut St. "Police were telling people to get out of the parking lot next to our building, so we figured we should leave the building too."
A similar fire occurred Monday night, causing a power outage on the block, said College senior Simon Eth. "I'm holding PECO responsible," he said. "They promised me this morning that they'd fix it, but this is the second time in two days that the power's been out."
