Pole fire causes major power outages in Ketchikan, Wrangell, and Petersburg

Communities in southern Southeast Alaska lost power for a few hours Thursday afternoon, due to a failure along the power grid in Ketchikan. Wrangell, Ketchikan, and Petersburg all lost power around noon on April 25. Jeremy Bynum, the electric division manager for Ketchikan Public Utilities said the outage was caused by a failed part on a power pole near the Landing Hotel in Ketchikan, which caused a fire to spark. The failed part was an insulator, which protects the power poles from electrical current. Wood conducts electricity, so electrical wires are connected to the wooden poles that hold them by insulators – silicone or porcelain gadgets that look like discs stacked on top of each other. Ketchikan, Wrangell, and Petersburg receive most of their electricity from hydropower.
KRBD-FM 105.3 Ketchikan

Upcoming fire restrictions for the interior region

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a fire prevention order on Thursday for areas north of Fairbanks. These restrictions prohibit campfires, fireworks and explosives on federal land near the Fox area which contains fire-prone black spruce. According to the BLM, numerous unattended bonfires in the recent past have led to concerns that an escaped fire would threaten the Gilmore Trail and Brier Road residential areas, as well as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facility on Gilmore Creek. The order will begin at 12 a.m. on May 1, and will end at midnight on Oct. 31, unless weather conditions or other factors change. If anyone is convicted of violating this order, there will be a $1,000 fine and possibly a year in jail.
KTVF-TV NBC 11 Fairbanks