Back to Blog

LINEMAN OKAY AFTER ELECTRICAL ARC CAUSED POWER OUTAGE IN EASTSOUND

Today’s outage in the Eastsound area was caused when an arc occurred during a system maintenance project in the Eastsound Village area. Journeyman Lineman Roger Sandwith was working on energized equipment with a hot stick and received minor burns to three knuckles of his hand. Sandwith was checked out at the medical center and given the all clear.

Safety is OPALCO’s top priority. The fact that our line crew was following safety protocols is what brought them through this event in good shape. It is an industry standard for linemen to work “hot” – on energized lines – to minimize outage interruptions for the people they serve. Please remember to thank our linemen for the job they do day after day to keep the power on.

The outage event began at about 10:00 am and power restoration is expected by 3:00 pm today.

You may also like...

opalco members at 2025 Annual Member Festival.

OPALCO Board Nominations are OPEN!

It’s a pivotal time for the energy world, with important issues to tackle that will shape our communities for years to come It’s that time of year when Orcas Power … Read more

Delivering Power & Quality of Life

Center Island gets a new submarine cable Center Island is a small island nestled between Decatur and Lopez islands with about 150 electric meters. It was home to the oldest … Read more
changemakers

Be a Changemaker – OPALCO is Powered by You!

It’s that time of year when OPALCO members step up to run for the Board of Directors. Nominations are now open for the 2025 election. There are two positions open: … Read more