KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS) — When it comes to stealing copper from electric wires, officials with Appalachian Power warn the risk far outweighs the reward. On Thursday, there were two attempts of theft, both resulting in mass power outages.
On Thursday morning, Kanawha County deputies say a 36-year-old man broke into the Cabin Creek substation and attempted to cut wire. He was shocked by the high voltage and taken to the hospital with burns. The damage caused a power outage for 3,000 customers in the area. Adss Cable
“If an individual breaks into a substation that not only puts them at risk but also it puts your first responders at risk, it puts our employees at risk and of course the public will most likely have a power outage because of the equipment damage," AEP spokesperson Karen Wissing said.
Shortly after 2 p.m., AEP reported another attempted copper theft in Logan County at a substation in the Huff Creek area. The damage in this case caused an outage for about 1,100 people.
Wissing stressed how dangerous it is to even walk inside of the substations due to the high voltage.
“Your home may have 120 or 140 volts coming into it which can cause serious injury, whereas inside of a substation you’re looking at 12,000 up to 34,000, maybe even more. You can imagine just how dangerous it is," she said.
Wissing said the amount of copper in the AEP lines is minimal as several signs on the outside of substations say that as well.
Wissing said AEP has not seen a recent uptick of these incidents yet but always expect more cases around the holidays.
“That’s why we encourage the public that if they see something that doesn’t look right to stay away and keep others away," Wissing advised. "In that same vein, do not enter an electrical facility such as a substation because you may harm yourself."
Covered Line Wire According to AEP, all customers impacted by the thefts have since had power restored.