Residents from Bixby Knolls to Lakewood reported three loud booms around 7:30 Tuesday night, sending police and firefighters searching for the source but ultimately unable to find what caused the noise.
“We were unable to determine what that sound was,” said Sgt. Martin Ron. “We can’t confirm if (an explosion) happened or where it was.”
Ron was searching for the source of the sound with a group of about 10 officers near Gaviota Avenue and Tehachapi Drive. He said that it was difficult to know where to look because so many residents in the area heard it coming from different directions. Police also had a helicopter searching from above, he said.
One resident described the noise as one loud boom and then two more back-to-back.
Fire department spokesman Jake Heflin said it appeared to be a transformer explosion, but he didn’t have further information available.
There wasn’t any obvious damage or apparent injuries from whatever caused the blast.