Bad switch triggers wide-spread power outage

A bad switch at the Mountain Home substation triggered a wide-spread power outage that affected approximately 5,100 homes and businesses on Oct. 28.

The outage began around 3:30 p.m. and affected more than 1,300 Idaho Power customers and continued to grow roughly 30 minutes later, according to Stephanie McCurdy, a spokesperson for the utility company.

The outage stretched across much of Mountain Home and included an area between Frontage Road on the north end of town down to Smith Road on the south side, McCurdy said. By 5:30 p.m., crews had restored electrical service to those affected by the initial outage with power fully restored to the Mountain Home area around 8:10 p.m.