Police search for whoever toppled four Surrey power poles with chainsaw

SURREY, B.C. – BC Hydro and Mounties in Surrey, B.C., want to find the vandal who used a chainsaw to topple four transmission poles in the city’s Green Timbers neighbourhood.

The Crown utility says the poles were cut down at about 1 a.m. Wednesday, taking out power for 6,000 customers in nearby Whalley.

It’s not known if more then one person was involved, but Hydro says whoever was responsible or anyone in the area faced immense danger from the fallen poles.

They supported a 60,000-volt transmission line and two sets of high-voltage distribution circuits, each carrying 25,000 volts.

Crews were expected to replace the damaged poles and transfer the conductors and circuits to the new poles by the end of the day.

Electricity has been restored to most of the affected customers, although their power has been switched to a different distribution circuit until the work is completed.