An unlucky possum was the cause of a power outage in Melbourne's inner-north that left more than 1300 homes and businesses in darkness on Thursday night.

CitiPower confirmed a "possum coming into contact with a transformer" led to the blackout which affected 1354 of its customers.

A possum inadvertently caused a power outage. Credit:Virginia Star

The Metropolitan Fire Brigade confirmed two fire trucks were sent to the area to help the power company turn off electricity in the area, with firefighters leaving the scene within half an hour.

One resident reported seeing a "flash and sizzle" before the power went out.