Blown BC Hydro equipment ignited a small grass fire, causing a power outage that left Save-On-Foods and other area customers in the dark for three hours on July 17.
Residents report they heard a bang and saw a flash around 2:30 p.m., so they ran outside, grabbed a garden hose and extinguished the grass burning below the power pole.
100 Mile House Fire-Rescue chief Darrell Blades says the fire was out when they arrived, but suspects sparks from the blown equipment ignited the grass.
BC Hydro spokesperson Dave Mosure says three lightning arresters were blown, but the cause of the equipment failure is unknown.
While this is usually caused by a bird contacting the lines, no evidence of that was found, he explains.
"A few hundred metres away, a truck had made contact with the low-hanging Telus line, which often causes two of our lines to make contact – it's called phase slap – and can cause that problem. But there was protective equipment in between [the hit lines] and these lightning arresters that should have blown first."
Mosure says BC Hydro records show the power was out at Coach House Square and a handful of area residences from 2:37-5:24 p.m.