| Thieves used a chainsaw to cut down a power pole on 240th Street in Maple Ridge on Tuesday, May 17.
The perpetrators risked death or serious injury, according to B.C. Hydro, in removing components of the equipment on the power pole to steal copper.
Metal theft is a huge concern for B.C. Hydro. It is a crime that affects the safety of the public and B.C. Hydro employees, and also has an impact on the reliability of the electrical system.
In this case, the electrical equipment attached to the power pole was de-energized as the building it was serving was slated for demolition. If the power line had been energized, it could have injured or killed a member of the public or our crew.
B.C. Hydro wants to remind the public it is never safe to assume any electrical equipment is de-energized. A downed power line is dangerous and should be treated as an emergency. Stay back at least 10 metres – the length of a standard bus – and dial 911 immediately.
B.C. Hydro is working with the RCMP to investigate this incident.
