Downed Tree Culprit in Weekend Power Outage

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT
A downed tree left many Monashka Bay residents without power for about an hour Sunday afternoon. Around 2:30 p.m. a Kodiak Electric Association customer was attempting to fell a tree when it dropped on a power line on Lakeview Drive. KEA President and CEO Darron Scott said the customer called KEA’s 24-hour dispatch to report the incident and the company was able to send a crew over right away. He said the power line wasn’t completely damaged and the crew was able to isolate the area for repairs.
“No, no there was a little bit of damage to the line. We were able to repair it in place, but did not take down the whole line. The tree just kind of came into the line, the line was able to support the tree before it fell all the way to the ground.”

There were no injuries associated with the downed tree or damaged power line and power was restored to most customers by 3:31 p.m. All customers were back online within three hours.
Scott said folks should keep power lines in mind when doing work on their property, especially if it involves cutting trees. He said it’s always a good idea to contact KEA in advance so power can be disconnected if needed and mitigate the likelihood that others will be affected if an accident occurs.
“Just communicate with us if you can, just be mindful of the power lines around you when you are taking down trees. Those trees can come down a good distance away from the power lines. We just want you to be aware of it and we’re here to help and please communicate with us if you have any concerns before you get started.”
KEA has a 24-hour dispatch number that folks can call if they have questions, or to report power outages in certain areas. That number is 486-7700.
In a press release from KEA the company apologized for any inconveniences associated with Sunday’s power outage and thanked the community for its patience as crews worked to resolve the issue.