Over 1,200 lose power when vehicle clips line

About 1,280 electric customers were without power Wednesday after a tractor-trailer clipped a power line on Spring Street, authorities said.

Police were called shortly before 4 p.m., Charleston police spokesman Charles Francis said.

The downed wire started a grass fire along the railroad tracks off Spring Street. Charleston firefighters waited for crews from SCE&G to de-energize the wire before attempting to put the fire out. Firefighters stood by as the wire was rendered safe and the fire department cleared the scene shortly after 5 p.m., according to Mark Ruppel, a spokesman for the Fire Department.

Kim Asbill, a spokeswoman for SCE&G, said 1,280 customers were affected. Traffic lights were out in the area for several hours and police directed traffic at intersections on King and Meeting streets. Power was restored to all customers by 7 p.m.