Xcel Energy crews worked Monday to restore electricity after the damaged pole fell onto a vehicle and sparked a deadly fire.
HOPKINS, Minn. — More than 150 Xcel Energy customers lost power after a utility pole fell onto a vehicle in Hopkins on Sunday, causing a fire that killed the person inside and leaving utility crews with damaged electrical equipment to repair.
The incident occurred on the 300 block of Blake Road North, where Hopkins police and firefighters responded just before 5 p.m. Sunday. Authorities said the pole fell onto the occupied vehicle, which then caught fire. The person inside died, and officials had not released the person’s identity Monday morning.
The fallen pole also disrupted electrical service in the surrounding area. Xcel Energy said Monday morning that power for more than 150 affected customers was expected to return around 11:45 a.m. Crews had been at the scene assessing the utility equipment as emergency responders investigated the fatal incident.
The outage extended the effects of the emergency beyond the immediate scene as repair crews worked to restore service. Authorities have not said why the pole fell, and no official explanation had been released for the failure as of Monday morning.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the vehicle fire Sunday. Police and fire personnel remained at the scene as investigators began examining what happened and utility crews addressed the damaged infrastructure.
A neighbor told CBS Minnesota that she heard a loud bang and a popping sound before a car alarm began. She then saw white smoke. Investigators have not publicly connected those observations to a cause, and authorities have not said whether the pole was struck or failed for another reason.
The lack of a confirmed cause means the fatality investigation and the utility response remain closely connected. Determining why the pole came down could clarify both the circumstances of the death and the damage that interrupted electrical service in the neighborhood.
Police had not announced additional findings by Monday morning. Xcel Energy was working toward restoring power while authorities continued investigating the pole’s collapse and officials prepared to release the identity of the person who died when appropriate.
Author note: Last updated August 24, 2026.