'Unconfirmed cause is bird activity'

Power interruption in Fredericton region peak of 26,000 customers, NB Power reports

Thousands in Fredericton and surrounding communities found themselves without electricity Friday afternoon, but power was flowing again for almost everyone by 6 p.m.

Almost 25,000 customers of NB Power were without power at about 2:30 p.m. Friday afternoon as a result of several unplanned outages.

NB Power’s outage map shows almost 25,000 customers without power in the capital region shortly after 2:30 p.m., but several thousand saw it restored before 3 p.m. (Graphic: NB Power website)

NB Power spokesperson Clayton Beaton reported that at its peak, the situation affected about 26,000 customers were impacted by the transmission outage. Almost all of those who lost power saw it restored by around 4:30 p.m., he said.

The outage map on the utility’s website indicated at about 6 p.m. that only 34 customers were still without power.

“Right now, the unconfirmed cause is bird activity,” Beaton wrote in an email. 

Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.