Snake sparks power outage in McMinn County

About 2,500 customers served by Volunteer Energy Co-operative were without power Friday night after a snake started a fire at the Sanford substation in McMinn County, co-op spokesman Robert McCarty said.

A snake short-circuited equipment which prompted “some pretty good fireworks — arcing and a lot of sparks” as well as electrocuting itself, he said.

Crews worked from about 11 p.m. Friday until about 4 a.m. Saturday to restore power by rerouting service through the Charleston, Tenn., substation, Mr. McCarty said.

A lot of equipment was damaged or destroyed by the snake-started fire and it may take two weeks to complete repairs, he said.