Squirrel causes power outage for thousands in Taylorsville
Jul 10, 2025, 7:22 AM | Updated: 9:58 am
FILE — A squirrel pictured while holding a nut that ha man had just handed to him. (Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
(Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY — At least 4,447 customers were without power in Taylorsville on Thursday morning after a squirrel caused a fuse to blow out and fried a circuit breaker.
By 8:20 a.m., Jona Whitesides with Rocky Mountain Power said some had power restored to their area.
“A number of those initial customers have had power restored, but the rest will remain without power until the fuse can be replaced,” Whitesides said.
By 10 a.m. on Thursday, Rocky Mountain Power maps showed power restoration to all of the customers affected.
A map showing the areas in Taylorsville without power on Thursday. (Rocky Mountain Power)
According to Whitesides, at least 4,400 customers were first impacted by the power outage. He said damage caused by a squirrel is actually more common than many might think, and can happen once a month or so.
There is a power outage in Taylorsville affecting 4,447 customers. We have dispatched crews to make repairs to our facilities and estimate power to be restored by approximately 10:00 am. For continuous updates, text STAT to 759677 or visit please visit https://t.co/5KJ7zd0MQ1 pic.twitter.com/J0Lxq8CLCM
— Rocky Mountain Power UT (@RMP_Utah) July 10, 2025
As of 8:30 a.m., the fuse was still in the process of being replaced.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated with more information after initial publication.
Conntributing: Mary Culbertson, KSL TV
