Enderby residents may have heard loud noises in the early morning hours Thursday before 2,178 customers lost power for around three hours.
A witness said she heard a “loud explosion” around 1:05 a.m., Oct. 15, “Then the whole town went immediately into darkness.”
She said she heard more than one “explosion.”
The Enderby Fire Department responded after she reported it to 911.
Enderby Fire Chief Cliff Vetter said a crew responded to reports of a transformer on fire, but they couldn’t find anything when they arrived.
BC Hydro confirmed the loud noises reported were likely the sounds of a recloser, a piece of equipment that turns lines on and off instantaneously when trouble occurs, like a short circuit. The automatic, high-voltage electric switch flips on and off several times before it trips and stays off.
Power was out for 2,178 customers in the Enderby area between 12:51 and 4:30 a.m., a spokesman from BC Hydro said. This was a result of an equipment failure.
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Caitlin.clow@vernonmorningstar.com
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