A man triggered a power outage in Mountain View Thursday night when he crashed his drone into a high-voltage wire and caused tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage, officials said.

Police are now on the hunt for the man, who they say was flying the drone illegally. The power outage affected 1,600 people, according to the Mountain View Police Department.

Officers were called to the 200 block of Polaris Avenue about 8:15 p.m., where witnesses told them a man had been flying a drone in the area when it crashed into the wire, police said.

It is illegal to fly drones in the area, they said.

“Please be aware, FAA regulations state that you cannot fly a drone within a five-mile radius of an airport unless you have properly notified officials, which includes areas such as Moffett Field. Drones can also not be flown near people and they must remain clear of surrounding obstacles,” police said in a statement.

The power outage lasted a little less than three hours and affected Mountain View City Hall and the city library, according to police. The library was evacuated.

Police said the repair work wasn’t finished until Friday morning.

Drones have caused other headaches for Bay Area law enforcement in recent months.

In January, a Pacifica man was arrested after flying his drone near a California Highway Patrol helicopter trying to save a man who had fallen off a cliff, hampering the rescue effort.

Drones have also interfered with the air operations that fight California wildfires.

Police are asking anyone with information on the drone owner to leave an anonymous tip at (650)-386-8063.

Filipa Ioannou is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: fioannou@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @obioannoukenobi