Tuesday night power outage in Chilliwack and Abbotsford affects over 19,000
Posted August 15, 2023 8:54 pm.
Last Updated August 16, 2023 6:24 am.
BC Hydro says 19,106 customers were without power in Chilliwack and Abbotsford on Tuesday night.
As the service reports, the outages began just after 8 p.m. — crews arrived after 9 p.m.
We're aware of multiple outages affecting 19,106 customers in #Abbotsford and #Chilliwack. Updates will be available here: https://t.co/BEURVikgjM pic.twitter.com/tLMBgFBrOF
— BC Hydro (@bchydro) August 16, 2023
The outages were broken up into seven sections, and BC Hydro cited a “substation fault” as the cause for all of them.
Power was quickly restored for some, as over 12,000 customers were no longer in the dark within minutes of crew members arriving.
BC Hydro spokesperson Kevin Aquino tells CityNews this quick restoration likely happened because crews were able to switch these customers to a different feeder.
“The number one causes of power outages here in B.C. are due to adverse weather and trees coming down onto our power lines,” he said.
“Substation faults are another cause of power outages and just what we’re seeing this evening.”
The remainder of the outages in Abbotsford and Chilliwack were restored just before 10 p.m.
BC Hydro says Monday’s hourly electricity use broke records across the province as customers dealt with soaring summer temperatures.
