Details Released about Monday's Power Outage
By Julie Perine on October 08, 2019
A representative of First Energy has shared details behind Monday’s power outage, which affected more than 2,000 customers and resulted in schools being dismissed early in Bridgeport.
“It looks like there was an issue with an insulator atop (a utility pole) which caused it to burn,” said Jeffrey Strait, external communications for First Energy.
The pole involved was at Route 279/Route 79 in Bridgeport.
The poles are topped with porcelain insulators, which may crack when it rains. Electricity then tracks through the crack to get to ground. In this case, the ground was the bolt that went through the pole, causing a fire that eventually burned the pole off.
Strait said the first calls came in at 11:53 a.m. Monday and all but two of the 2,306 customers affected were restored by 3:04 p.m.
Bridgeport High School and Johnson Elementary School, both which had been without power, were dismissed at 1:45 p.m., as were Bridgeport Middle School and Simpson Elementary School.
The two other customers remained without power until First Energy was able to set a new pole. Power was restored by 10:57 p.m., Strait said.
Editor's Note: Cover photo is a file photo, taken in another area of Bridgeport.
