Emergency electrical in Sacramento
Power gone, something hot, something burnt. Available 24 hours — call, say what you can see or smell, and we will tell you what to do first.
Available 24 hours
Licensed C-10 · CSLB #1115460
Emergency electrical
On this page 3 sections
Emergency electrical: what to do right now
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Fire, smoke, or sparking
Get everyone out and call 911 first. Do not go back for the panel. Once you are clear and it is safe, call us and we will pick up from there.
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A fallen or damaged service line
Stay well clear, keep others back, and assume it is live. Call 911 and your utility. Overhead service conductors are their equipment, not ours — but call us once it is made safe and we will deal with what it left behind.
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Water at or near electrical equipment
Do not touch it, and do not stand in water to reach a panel. Keep people away from it and call. Equipment that has been wet needs looking at before it goes back into use, even if it still works.
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A burning smell, a hot outlet, or a scorch mark
Stop using it and switch that circuit off at the panel — or the main breaker if you cannot tell where the smell is coming from. Do not keep resetting the breaker; it is telling you something. Call and describe what you can see and smell.
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Part of the property has no power
Check whether anyone nearby is out too. If the street is dark, check your utility outage information first. If only your property is affected, call us and describe what you see — the problem may be on the property side, or it may still involve utility service equipment.
Emergency electrical: what happens when you call
You describe it
What is happening, what you can see or smell, and what changed just before it started.
We give you the immediate next step
That may mean isolating a circuit, stopping use of equipment, or leaving the area alone entirely.
We agree what happens next
Whether it needs someone out, what that involves, and what it costs — confirmed with you before any work starts.
Emergency electrical: what we work out first
An urgent call starts by finding the boundary of the fault: what lost power, what stayed on, and whether there is heat, odor, sound, water, or visible damage. Those details decide what should be isolated now and what needs inspection before anything goes back into use.
Whether the fault is the utility’s or on your side of the meter
Which circuit, outlet, or piece of equipment is involved
What needs isolating now to make the property safe
What the repair involves once the cause is clear
Urgent electrical questions
Should I call the utility or an electrician?
If the street is dark, start with the utility and check its outage information. If only your property is affected — half the house out, or one circuit — that is electrical power loss on your side of the meter. Call us and describe what is and is not working. Neighbor status is a useful clue, not a remote diagnosis.
Should I keep resetting a breaker?
No. The breaker is doing its job. Resetting it repeatedly will not fix what is causing the trip, and if something is overheating it makes it worse. If it will not hold, leave it off and call.
How fast can you get here?
That depends on where you are and what is happening, so you get a straight answer on the call rather than a number on a website. The line is available 24 hours.
There is a burning smell. Is that this job?
Yes — heat, a burning smell, or sparking is urgent. Isolate what you can without touching damaged equipment and call. The dedicated page is burning smell or sparking if you want the isolation steps in writing; the line is the same either way.
What is considered an electrical emergency?
Burning smell, sparking, a hot panel, half the house dark, or water on equipment. We run 24/7 emergency electrical service. Call (279) 972-9272.
Still not sure it is the right job? Call (279) 972-9272 — available 24 hours.Want the detail? Burning smell at an outlet
Helpful guides
Burning smell at an outlet
A burning or fishy smell at an outlet, switch, or breaker panel is overheating until proven otherwise. Stop using it. Isolate if you can. Then have the source found.
Read guideOutage: utility or home?
A broad outage usually starts with the utility. A partial outage or a condition isolated to one property may need an electrician.
Read guide
Serving 19 communities across the Sacramento area
Litel Electric serves homeowners throughout all 19 communities in our service area — from Davis and Woodland to Roseville, Folsom, and Elk Grove.
Get estimate
Tell us what is happening, or what you are planning. We read the details, tell you what else we need to know, and explain the next step before anything is scheduled.
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You send the problem or the plan, with the address if you have it.
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We reply with what it involves and what has to be seen in person.
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Nothing is scheduled, and nothing is priced, until the equipment has been looked at.
- hi@litelelectric.com
- License
- CSLB #1115460 · C-10 electrical