Widespread power outage in Puyallup was work of copper wire thieves, officials say
A power outage in Puyallup on Tuesday morning left more than 17,000 customers without electricity. Officials say people trying to steal copper wire from a power line caused the disruption.
Puget Sound Energy officials told Q-13 FOX the suspected thieves cut down a power pole in the 12300 block of Valley Avenue East while trying to access copper wire on a line. The pole fell on energized lines, causing the outage.
Puyallup Police Department said the outage affected several traffic signals downtown.
Twelve schools in Puyallup School District started two hours late due to the outage.
This story was originally published November 2, 2021 at 11:11 AM.
Peter Talbot
The News Tribune