VANCOUVER: BC Hydro crews have responded to over 61,000 trouble calls in 2025 – and some were anything but ordinary. From birds and beavers to fishing lines and cicadas, here are a few of the year's most memorable incidents:
- Godzilla in the grid: In December, three major storms swept across B.C. The last one even sent a giant inflatable Godzilla flying into BC Hydro lines at a car dealership in Nanaimo, prompting a trouble call to safely remove it.
- Fishing folly: In May, a group of neighbourhood kids in Sidney practicing their casting skills accidentally hooked power lines, causing an outage for one customer. Crews removed two fishing lures and lines before restoring service.
- Where the cicadas sing: In May, a BC Hydro customer in Kelowna reported an alarming buzzing sound, fearing a line issue. The culprit? Cicadas. No repairs needed, just a reminder that nature can be noisy.
- Osprey oops: In July, an osprey in Ashcroft dropped a fish onto a power line, sparking a small grass fire that led to an outage for 943 customers. Fire crews, BC Hydro workers and local ranchers worked together to extinguish the blaze using 4,800 gallons of water.
- Log-jammed: In July, a beaver in Horsefly brought down a large tree across multiple spans of wire, including a river crossing. Crews worked through challenging conditions to restore power for 375 affected customers.
- Feathered fiasco: In July, a crow in Delta collided with a transformer, knocking out an entire feeder and leaving 4,636 customers without power. Crews patrolled the circuit and restored service.
- Another osprey oops: In August another osprey, this time in Quesnel, dropped a fish into BC Hydro power lines, resulting in six customer outages and necessitating a pole replacement.
While outages can be unpredictable, many are preventable. BC Hydro urges the public to stay safe by watching for power lines, never flying kites, drones or carrying balloons near them, and securing items that could blow away. Always keep at least three metres, about the length of a four-door car, between yourself, tools, and power lines. If you see a downed or damaged line, stay back at least 10 metres, the length of a city bus, and call 9-1-1.
For more information on power outages, and how to prepare visit bchydro.com/outages.
Contact:
BC Hydro Media Relations
e. media@bchydro.com
p. 604 926 6468