Power lines burst into flames early Tuesday morning in DeKalb causing about an hour-long blackout for students and other city residents along West Lincoln Highway.

Commonwealth Edison District Manager Mario Fontana said the lightning arrester failed at about 8 a.m. Most of the buildings on Lincoln Highway from Stadium Drive to Castle Drive lost power, he said.

An arrester diverts lightning strikes into the ground to prevent an overload in the power lines. A Commonwealth Edison employee said the arrester continued to deteriorate until it shattered and shorted the wires.

The employee said the lightning arrester on the lines probably weakened in a storm Wednesday. There were no injuries during the incident.

Matt Groesch, a McDonald’s employee, witnessed the power lines south of Graham Hall on Locust Street catch fire while working behind the McDonald’s at 805 W. Lincoln Highway.

Groesch said while mowing the lawn he heard a short, loud hum and turned to see power lines burn for about ten seconds behind Old Orchard Place Apartments, 1001 W. Lincoln Highway.

The accident was so powerful that “all the way down, the lines were just shaking,” he said.

Dave Fiscus, a resident at Old Orchard Place, said “I was watching ‘Good Morning America’ when I heard it.” The power went out in his apartment at the same time the power lines began to hum, he said.

Commonwealth Edison employees restored power by about 9 a.m.

Fontana said they have been having problems with the power in that part of DeKalb due to the construction taking place on the street. However, this particular accident was not connected to the construction, he said.