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Raccoon to blame for power outage that left 2,100 in dark

An unsuspecting raccoon caused a power outage affecting close to 2,100 Penelec customers in Altoona when it climbed into a substation about 9:40 p.m. Sunday and tripped a protective circuit breaker.

Electricity was restored by 11:15 p.m. for the customers, Penelec spokesman Todd Meyers said. The outage emanated from substation off Sixth Avenue.

The No. 1 cause of outages is tree-related factors; after that, equipment-related failure. How­ever, animal-related outages are a category, Meyers said.

A substation’s mass of breakers, transformers and controls that handle and distribute high voltage electricity is set behind wire fencing. But it’s not unusual for animals to chew through rubber guards and climb in.

“In this case, a raccoon got in, tripped up equipment and it was lights out for part of the town last night,” Meyers said.

“Birds can build nests in there as well. And raccoons like to get into bird nests,” he said.

Animals are attracted to buzz­ing noises of electrical equipment.

“They want to see what is going on. It sounds like something to eat,” Meyers said.

In Huntingdon County, a bear was killed when it climbed a pole to explore a buzzing sound and found a live wire.

“Guys who know the substations also found that the vibration of the buzzing can attract snakes,” Mey­ers said. “They also come in contact and cause breakers to open.”

Mirror Staff Writer Russ O’Reilly is at 946-7435.

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