More than 2,400 Emera Maine customers were without power in Penobscot County on Thursday morning after a squirrel found its way into a local substation.
The outage was reported just before 9:30 a.m., and Emera Maine restored power just before 10 a.m. The outage affected Brewer, Bucksport, Holden and Orrington.
It’s not the first time a squirrel has interrupted electrical service in Greater Bangor this year. In January, another curious squirrel found its way into electrical utility equipment in downtown Bangor, leaving more than 1,400 in the dark.
[Squirrels have taken over this Bangor neighborhood]
That came amid a frenzy of squirrel mayhem as the rodents made life difficult for farmers in the fall and spring, devouring apples and pumpkins and damaging lines at maple syrup operations. Much of that mayhem was attributed to a boom in the squirrel population.
Elsewhere, Emera Maine crews worked to repair a downed powerline on Route 43 that left more than 500 without power in Corinth, Corinna and Exeter. Another 231 also were without power in the Lincoln area Thursday morning. Power was restored to those customers later on Thursday morning.