Cause unclear for brief power outage in Lower Burrell/New Kensington area
About 600 West Penn Power customers, mostly in Lower Burrell and some in New Kensington, lost power for a brief period Friday morning.
West Penn Power spokesman Todd Meyers said an exact cause has yet to be determined, but a recloser on a pole in the 2300 block of Freeport Road is under investigation.
Power went out at 9:12 a.m. and was restored at 9:51 a.m., he said.
A recloser is a device that acts as an automatic circuit breaker. It opens and closes in instances where an animal or tree branch touches a power line. In this instance, the recloser didn’t close, Meyers said.
When crews patrolled the lines, they were unable to find anything, Meyers said, adding an electrician will be investigating the unit’s controller.
A similar incident happened in that area Thursday, he said.
Kellen Stepler is a TribLive reporter covering the Allegheny Valley and Burrell school districts and surrounding areas. He joined the Trib in April 2023. He can be reached at kstepler@triblive.com.
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