Outage traps FREED members in upstairs office

Six members of a local disability nonprofit group needed to be carried or otherwise helped from their second-floor office after a power outage Tuesday evening.

At about 5:15 p.m., a five-minute-long outage in the immediate area of East Main Street burned up an elevator motor at a commercial building at 900 East Main Street.

The elevator was repaired and service was restored at about 8 p.m. Tuesday, said David Ray, a battalion chief with Nevada County Consolidated Fire District. That was well after FREED Center for Independent Living members were removed from the nonprofit's office roughly 30 minutes after the outage, he said.

No one panicked or was hurt during the outage, said Ana Acton, FREED executive director.

Nobody was in the elevator at the time of the outage, Ray said.

"We got everyone out safe and sound," Acton said.

Ironically, Acton said she was on the phone with a Realtor discussing other office space options when the power went out.

"We've discussed alternatives ever since moving in here a year and a half ago," Acton said.

The group is looking for an affordable and handicapped accessible place, preferably on the first floor, she said.

Grass Valley Fire Department and Nevada City Fire Department members also responded to the scene.

The building houses multiple offices but doesn't include housing, Ray said.