IVINS — A power failure affecting more than 1,500 Rocky Mountain Power customers occurred in the wake of wind and rain early Thursday morning. Repair technicians were immediately dispatched to the area and were performing repairs at the time of publication of this report.
Just after 8:30 a.m., officers and emergency personnel were dispatched to a report of an arcing power pole near 200 East 800 South in Ivins. According to StormHighway.com, a power arc occurs when there is damage to power lines. The result is a highly visible, bright arcing often referred to as a “power flash.”
Once officers and emergency personnel arrived on scene in Ivins, they determined that one electrical pole arced, which may have affected more than one pole.
Rocky Mountain Power spokesperson Margaret Oler said that the circuit opened up on the pole, which is a safety feature built into the circuit’s design. However, when that occurs, it immediately cuts the power.
Approximately 1,572 Rocky Mountain Power customers were affected by the outage, Oler said.
“We dispatched a trouble shooter immediately after being notified,” she said, ” to determine the cause of the outage and begin repairs.”
Rain and wind could be a cause in the outage, Oler said, because the wind that moves through the area just before the rain blows contaminants around, and sometimes those contaminants are blown into the insulators that keep the electricity in the lines and away from the poles and other equipment. If just enough water and contaminants flow into the insulators it can interrupt the flow of electricity, she said, and once interrupted it shuts down.
There was no estimated time of power restoration available as of 9:45 a.m., but customers are being asked to check for updates at the Rocky Mountain Power Large-Scale Outage Information website. According to the website, updates are posted every 30 minutes at a minimum.
To report an outage call 877-508-5088.
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