Power Restored After Semi Truck Crash Disrupts Fresno County Traffic
A crash involving two semi trucks at Maple and American avenues in Fresno County on November 13, 2025 knocked out power for about 300 customers and sparked a small brush fire, officials said. Power was restored later that morning, but the incident caused traffic delays and one driver was evaluated at Community Regional Medical Center, underscoring local vulnerabilities in roadway safety and utility reliability.
Early morning traffic in a residential and light industrial area of Fresno County was disrupted November 13 when a semi truck failed to stop at a sign and struck a utility pole at the intersection of Maple and American avenues. The California Highway Patrol reported that the trailer driver missed a stop sign and collided with the pole, setting off a chain of effects that temporarily left roughly 300 customers without electricity and ignited a small brush fire from a downed live wire.
Emergency responders and utility crews arrived on scene to extinguish the brush fire and secure the damaged lines. Cleanup and repairs required lane closures and traffic control, producing delays for commuters and commercial traffic throughout the morning. ABC30 reported that power was restored after the incident, allowing residents and businesses to resume normal operations. Both truck drivers sustained minor injuries, and one was taken to Community Regional Medical Center for treatment.
The immediate facts are straightforward and measurable. About 300 customers lost power initially, a live wire started a small brush fire, two semi trucks were involved, and utility crews completed repairs that restored service the same day. The event highlights several local concerns. For residents and small businesses in the vicinity, even short outages can interrupt household routines, delay morning work shifts, and affect temperature sensitive operations. For agricultural and light industrial businesses that depend on reliable electricity and road access, such interruptions can impose additional costs in the form of lost productivity and logistical delays.
From a policy and planning perspective, the crash illustrates intersections between roadway safety and utility resilience. Collisions that knock down poles create acute hazards for fire and electrical safety, and the costs of repeated incidents fall on both utilities and ratepayers through repair and maintenance spending. Local traffic flow was affected while cleanup and utility repairs were carried out, reinforcing the need for clear signage, enforcement at critical intersections, and continued investment in protective infrastructure around utility equipment.
While investigators with the California Highway Patrol will determine whether driver error or other factors led to the missed stop sign, the incident serves as a reminder of how a single roadway violation can ripple into public safety and service disruptions. For Fresno County residents, the event underlines the importance of situational awareness in traffic, the value of rapid emergency response, and the ongoing need to strengthen the resilience of local infrastructure against accidents that can spark fires and outages.
