Copper theft forces power outage in south Wichita
A copper theft forced Westar Energy crews to shut down a south Wichita substation for about an hour Thursday afternoon.
Westar spokesman Leonard Allen said there was unstable voltage at the 59th Street South substation, and crews had to turn off the power to check the damage and make repairs.
The shutdown began around 2 p.m. Power was back on around 3 p.m.
The outage affected around 1,800 customers in the area of 47th Street South and Broadway.
Westar officials have raised concerns in recent months about copper thefts and metal thefts at their facilities. The company said there are severe penalties for stealing copper from its facilities, but it's also incredibly dangerous - and can even be deadly.
Substations are protected by locks, alarms and barbed wire, but Westar has been urging residents who live near substations to report any supicious activity.
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