HELENA — According to NorthWestern Energy, about 14,500 customers in the Helena area lost power Tuesday morning, and a squirrel was the culprit.
The animal entered the energizing equipment in a substation, knocking out power around 7:05 a.m.
NorthWestern Energy says service was restored to about half of the affected customers by 7:30 a.m. and all services were restored by 8 a.m.
Power outages as a result of wild animals are not uncommon. NorthWestern Energy takes precautions to limit conflicts with large birds like osprey, ravens and eagles. The efforts include designing avian-friendly power poles and constructing nest platforms so the birds don't nest on the lines.
But conflicts can still happen. In 2011, an East Missoula neighborhood lost power after an eagle dropped a deer fawn on a high-voltage line.
In 2009, more than a dozen animals were electrocuted after a fallen tree caused a power line to hang near the ground near Eureka, MT. Officials found the carcasses of five deer, four black bears, two wolves, a coyote and a turkey vulture near the line. A biologist from Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, who investigated the situation, said they believed it was likely that the deer walked into the line first, which then drew in the predators and scavengers.
