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Squirrel, Tree Branch That Tripped Safety System Caused Power Outage In Grass Valley

GRASS VALLEY (CBS13) — A power outage in Grass Valley on Tuesday morning was caused by a squirrel and tree branch that came into contact with a line, officials say.

PG&E says that power went out around 6:15 a.m. in the Lost Lake Road area. About 1,250 customers lost power.

Officials say a troubleman who responded to the scene found that the outage was caused by a squirrel and tree branch that came into contact with the line and tripped the EPSS system.

This system is part of PG&E's enhanced power line safety settings, officials say. It automatically turns off power within one-tenth of a second.

Crews are now working to fully restore power. So far, 620 customers have their power back on. The remaining 638 customers should see their power come back on by 2 p.m., PG&E says.

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