CALAIS – Power was out downtown for about 40 minutes Monday after a utility pole near the Department of Motor Vehicles building on North Street caught fire.

About 1,000 homes and businesses were without power in the 20-degree temperature.

Eastern Maine Electric Cooperative officials said that the two “dead-end” insulators on the pole apparently received hairline cracks during the recent cold weather.

“Electricity flowed across the cracked insulators and down the cross-arm supports to the through-rod attaching the supports to the pole. The bolt was heated until it burned through the top of the pole, after which the pole-top tipped over,” EMEC spokesman Charlie McAlpin said.

Around 10:40 a.m. an EMEC line worker, who noticed the damaged pole, went to the co-op’s substation and cut power to the North Street circuit, preventing more serious damage and a lengthier power outage.

Power was restored to the downtown around 11:15 a.m.