Copper Theft In Spokane Valley Leaves Hundreds Without Power - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE FROM THE SPOKANE VALLEY POLICE DEPT: On Friday morning, January 18, 2013, at about 3:45 a.m., Spokane Valley Sheriff's Deputies responded to a transformer fire at an Avista substation at Barker and Euclid. 

Spokane Valley Fire had responded to a transformer fire at the substation and saw the fence surrounding the station had been cut open. Deputies found a large opening in the fence and were able to see footprints leading into the substation. 

 

An Avista employee responded to the scene and told deputies a ground wire had been cut and removed from the transformer on fire. The employee said that removing the ground charged the transformer with over 7,500 volts of electricity causing it to ignite. 

The employee said the suspect(s) more than likely were burned from cutting the ground.  Several other ground lines were removed inside the station.  Avista reports that 2,165 customers were without service in the Barker/Euclid area for a short period of time as a result of this incident.