FortisBC restores power outage in Kelowna

Photo: Contributed

UPDATE 10:45 a.m.

Electricity has now been restored, according to FortisBC outage map.

A very small outage remains impacting 28 customers in the Groves Avenue area.

UPDATE 9:45 a.m.

FortisBC has confirmed the power outage in the Mission Tuesday morning was caused by wildlife impacting power lines.

"Our crews are responding right now. It is a result of damage to the equipment from wildlife. Crews are on-site responding, power should be restored in the next 30 minutes," says Nicholas Insley with FortisBC.

There are far more customers impacted by the power outage than originally reported on the FortisBC outage map.

"I'll confirm that 1,500 customers are impacted," said Insley, adding FortisBC expects power to be restored in the next 30 minutes.

UPDATE 8:55 a.m.

A Castanet reader has shared a photo taken near the scene of the power outage in the Mission area of Kelowna Tuesday morning.

The photo shows a FortisBC repair truck parked near what appears to be a dead squirrel.

"In other news… squirrel takes out power on Abbott St… KLO to hospital, confirmed by FortisBC at the scene," says the tipster.

ORIGINAL 8:26 a.m.

FortisBC customers are dealing with a power outage along Pandosy Street Tuesday morning.

According to its website, the outage is only impacting a small number of customers around the SOPA building in the Mission, however, multiple callers have let Castanet know that the power outage has spread at least as far as Abbott Street, KGH is in the outage area as is the Strathcona Medical Clinic located at 2245 Abbott Street.

Castanet has reached out to FortisBC for more information on the cause and extent of the power interruption.