Squirrel reported to cause blast at Webster County substation

What happened

A 14 News headline reported that a squirrel caused a blast at a Webster County substation and that the blast was caught on camera. The available text does not name the state, the date of the blast, any injury, any outage, or the equipment involved.

Contributing factors

The headline attributes the blast to a squirrel. It does not say how the animal reached the equipment or which part of the substation was involved.

Lessons learned

1. Wildlife can start faults at substations, so animal guards and barriers should be kept under review.
2. Camera footage should be checked against equipment records before a cause is treated as confirmed.
3. A headline alone does not establish injuries, damage or loss of supply, so those outcomes should not be stated until they are reported.

Source

14news.com