Over 14,000 Boise customers experienced a morning power outage. The culprit? A squirrel
A power outage hit West Boise for part of Wednesday morning after a squirrel scurried into a transformer and substation, according to Idaho Power.
Idaho Power spokesperson Sven Berg told the Idaho Statesman the power outage began at 10:44 a.m., affecting 14,211 customers. The area impacted was between Milwaukee Street to Five Mile Road and Ustick Road to Emerald Street.
Squirrels cause outages sometimes, including with Internet and cable, Berg said.
“They like to chew on those things,” he said.
Squirrels are one of the top causes of power outages in the nation, according to the American Public Power Association.
This story was originally published August 3, 2022 at 12:22 PM.
Tanushri Sundar
Idaho Statesman