PUD Edmonds power outage Tuesday night caused by squirrel in equipment

A squirrel caused a power outage for about 2,500 customers in Edmonds on Tuesday night, according to Snohomish County PUD. The disruption began around 7 p. m. when the squirrel entered a switching station's equipment, igniting a fire on one of the reclosers. PUD spokesperson Aaron Swaney confirmed that crews isolated the damaged equipment and restored power by 8:15 p.

m. The utility plans to assess and replace the compromised equipment to prevent similar incidents. Squirrel-related outages are not uncommon, as wildlife often interacts with electrical infrastructure. This event underscores the need for utilities to implement preventive measures against animal incursions. Local residents experienced a brief interruption in service, but swift action minimized the outage's duration.