An electrical problem at Georgia Pacific caused a widespread power outage in the Bradford area shortly after midnight Saturday.

Dan Burkhouse, chief of Bradford Township Volunteer Fire Department, said Georgia Pacific had a production shift working at the time of the electrical malfunction.

“It was between their transformer and the electric box inside the plant. They had to shut that shift down,” Burkhouse said. “The damage to the power system going into the plant was significant. Penelec had to disconnect the power lines going into the plant.”

Power was restored to residential customers within 30 to 45 minutes, but Burkhouse said he was unsure when it would be restored to the plant.

“The damage to the electrical stuff was outside the building,” he explained. “We were on scene with them for close to an hour, going through the plant making sure there wasn’t any smouldering electrical” lines or equipment.

Two engines and about a dozen firefighters responded to the call, Burkhouse said.

This call came in about 8 hours after members of the District 15 Wildfire Suppression crew — including Burkhouse — returned from Warren County, where they had been fighting a forest fire on Thursday and Friday.