It’s still unclear exactly what caused a power outage Wednesday afternoon across the south end of Penticton.
FortisBC spokesperson Michael Allison said the company received a report of a “loud sound” at its Waterford Avenue substation around 4:30 p.m., followed by a loss of power supply from there to the City of Penticton’s electrical utility.
Allison said at around the same time as the sound, Fortis received a report of a motor vehicle accident two blocks away that “disrupted” the city’s power grid and may have somehow caused the outage back at the Waterford substation.
City spokesperson Simone Blais said local utility crews received the same report and patrolled the area, but were unable to locate an accident scene.
Blais said 3,350 customers from around Kinney Avenue to the city’s southern limits were affected by the “substantial” power outage, which lasted until 6 p.m.
FortisBC is still investigating.
Utility workers were also busy Thursday morning when a gas line was ruptured by a construction crew digging along Churchill Avenue just east of Power Street.
The street was blocked to traffic and some nearby residences were evacuated while repairs were made.