14 homes near Hespeler Street in Steinbach suddenly and unexpectedly lost power Monday night after a wandering squirrel blew a transformer fuse.

Manitoba Hydro spokesperson Bruce Owen says they received the first reports of the outage at 9:14 PM. While the squirrel may not have been so lucky, Owen says the problem was quickly resolved, with power being restored to residents in about minutes.

“This does happen with somewhat regular occurrence,” comments Owen. “Roughly 15 percent of our outages each year are related to animal or human negligence.”

Owen notes that it was fortunate this outage occurred during a mild night and was quickly repairable. He says other outages may not be as convenient.

“We encourage people to have an emergency kit and be ready to go. In winter there is always a chance of extended outages due to ice storms or blizzards.”

Should customers find themselves without power for longer periods in the winter, Owen encourages residents of the southeast to have enough canned food, blankets, and flashlights on hand to survive up to three days without power.

The approximate area that was affected by the unexpected power outage