Recently Big Horn REA was informed by a concerned citizen that one of our lines had been vandalized. When our crews arrived they found that insulators on our 34.5KV line had been shot, leaving the energized line hanging about 12-feet above the ground. While this may not seem all that dangerous, take into account that the electricity that powers your home is 110 volts. The power running through this line is 34,500 volts. This could have been deadly!
With spring comes burning season. Big Horn REA recently had several poles destroyed by unattended burning on a ditch-bank.
Damage to Big Horn REA equipment such as this costs you, the member/owner money. Big Horn does try to determine who causes this type of damage and the party will be billed accordingly.
Line Superintendent, Kendal Wambeke, states, "Not only is this a cost to member/owners, it can be very dangerous if the poles fall, leaving an energized line on or close to the ground. This could also, potentially, be deadly."
