Rainstorm causes power outage

MOSES LAKE — A Thursday night rainstorm triggered fires in six electrical poles that in turn caused power failures in the Moses Lake area during the night and into Friday morning. Six poles caught fire Thursday night, said PUD spokesman Ryan Holterhoff, resulting in an electrical outage east of the Larsen substation. “It can be common this time of year in our climate. When moisture arrives after long dry periods it can cause wood poles to electrify and smolder, then catch on fire,” Holterhoff wrote. “So (Thursday night’s) rain is the expected cause.” The initial outage occurred about 10:25 p.m. and affected about 740 customers, Holterhoff said. Electricity was restored in that area in about an hour. “As crews were replacing damaged poles throughout the night, they had to cut power to other areas, causing additional outages for customers during the replacement.” Electricity was restored to all customers just after 8 a.m., he said.

— Staff report