Unsafe electrical line leaves Niland seniors without power during extreme heat

NILAND, Calif. (KYMA) - Home is no longer a refuge for dozens of vulnerable low-income seniors at the Lark Spa Mobile Home & RV Park.

Instead, their trailers have been transformed into dangerous ovens during an extreme summer heatwave after an unpermitted, unsafe electrical line was ordered to be de-energized.

Vulnerable residents, disabled neighbors, and their pets have been left stranded in triple-digit desert heat since the electricity was cut off early Monday morning.

Because the enforcement action only targeted the specific unpermitted line, the resulting power outage affected a portion of the property, leaving some sections of the park with functioning electricity while others were plunged into darkness. The crisis has forced many to completely abandon their homes, beds, and private restrooms just to survive.

The emergency sprouted from a long-standing issue with a main electrical infrastructure line on the property, which park management had failed to permanently repair for years.

In an attempt to solve the issue temporarily and keep the cooling systems running through the blistering weather, an electrician laid a high-power bypass line along the ground, heavily barricaded it off for safety.

However, Imperial County Planning & Development Services flagged the private repair during an inspection. Citing the unpermitted and hazardous setup, county officials issued an Attention-Action Required Notice on July 9, directing the property operator to immediately stop the unpermitted electrical work and de-energize the affected unsafe electrical line for safety reasons.

County officials made clear that the order was aimed strictly at removing the immediate fire hazard. The five-day period referenced in the notice was a compliance window for the operator to correct the unpermitted work.

In an effort to get answers for the displaced residents, we reached out directly to Imperial County District 4 Supervisor Ryan Kelley, whose district includes the Niland area.

The county adds that once the Imperial County Executive Office was formally notified of the residents' dire circumstances on July 17, multiple county departments immediately mobilized that same day to assess the affected residents and connect them with available emergency assistance.

When reached for comment regarding the situation, the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) clarified that they are not responsible for the current outage.

According to an IID spokesperson, the facility operates on a master meter, meaning the utility company is only in charge of billing these customers as a single entity.

The utility confirmed they have no reported outages in the broader Niland area. IID stated that this setup is typical for RV parks, emphasizing that the owner of the RV park is solely in charge of supplying power to the residents, and IID is not responsible for them losing electricity.

An emergency request remains tied up in the permitting phase. Because progress is expected to stall through the weekend, vulnerable residents face the reality of surviving several more days in scorching conditions without air conditioning. 

With air conditioners knocked offline, frail and disabled elderly residents are now crowding inside a single on-site recreation room to escape the scorching sun.

"Imagine having no access to your personal effects," said park resident Seth True. "Not being able to watch your movies, your streaming services. Not being able to go to the bathroom in your bathroom or take a shower when you want to."

At night, the situation grows increasingly treacherous. Without electricity, residents are forced to step outside into pitch-black conditions just to use the facility's exterior restrooms.

"So at night you have to come outside, walk through the dark...there's snakes, tarantulas, there's camel spiders," True shared. "Even attempting to wash away the day's sweat offers no refuge, as the lack of climate control leaves the community showers sweltering like steam rooms...just feel how hot it is in there, you know... no air conditioning."

Those who can afford to stay inside their homes are forced to burn through $50 to $75 a day on generator fuel just to keep simple fans spinning.

According to residents, the only guidance received from local agencies was a written notification suggesting they surrender their companion pets to the Humane Society and keep their groceries and medication chilled on ice.

"Well, the closest ice is in Niland," True explained. "So it's a 12-mile drive in 100+ degree heat."

With the official system leaving them completely in the dark, community compassion has become the only real light left shining at the park. Neighbors are actively looking out for one another to make sure no one succumbs to heat-related illness. 

"People have been coming down and talking to everybody and offering them to come over and have dinner, or come watch some TV at night to go off and talk," True said. "They're trying to help."

While the situation remains critical, enforcement documents indicate officials maintain the directive to de-energize the unpermitted line was legally necessary to completely eliminate an immediate electrical fire hazard.

"I would like to see somebody from the county come up here and stay one day," True emphasized. "I would like them to go have to be in there from the time they wake up and stay there on a night on one of those beds."