Avista : works to restore power after last night’s outages

Spokane, Wash. Jan 24, 2018: Avista customers in Gifford, Hunters, Fruitland, Two Rivers, Inchelium and the surrounding areas are currently experiencing a prolonged power outage. Weather conditions in that area caused a tree to come in contact with a transmission line causing the outage. As a result, there was additional equipment failure in the Gifford substation. Avista crews have removed the tree and are currently assessing the damage that it caused. Approximately 2,000 customers are impacted by the outage. At a minimum the power will be out until early Thursday morning. Avista will provide an updated estimated restoration time once the substation equipment has been evaluated. Crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power to the impacted areas. Customers who experience a power outage are encouraged to report it online or through their mobile device using Avista's outage app or by calling [phone]. Updated outage status information, including estimated restoration times, is also available on Avista's website. Avista suggests customers take the following steps during an outage: • If you see a downed power line, stay away. Treat all power lines as if they are carrying electrical current, and never touch, drive over, or move one. • Turn off all the appliances that were on before the power went out. • Unplug electronic equipment, including computers. • Leave a light or radio on as an alert when power has been restored. • Do not wire an emergency generator into a home's electrical system, unless there is a disconnect switch to separate generated power from Avista's distribution system. Back feed into power lines could injure or kill a lineman working to get electricity restored. • Use a generator only to run specific appliances and locate it outside so poisonous carbon monoxide fumes do not enter the home. 'We understand the inconvenience that a prolonged outage can cause and we're actively communicating with the communities we serve to keep them aware of the situation,' said Cesar Godinez, Avista's manager of operations for Colville. 'We will continue to communicate throughout the duration of this outage.' Avista customer service representatives have a variety of resources available to assist customers in need. Customers who have questions or concerns can contact Avista at [phone].

« [Back to News Releases]