At approximately 7:10 a.m. Blacksburg fire was dispatched to 140 Rutherford Street in reference to low hanging power lines. Upon arrival a secondary power line was discovered drooping approximately 5 feet off of the ground. The wireless connected to the Transformer and the power Pole across the street.

A survey of the Transformer and Powerline revealed no sparks or other immediate concerns. Blacksburg fire notified Duke Energy of the drooping power lines and remained on scene with traffic control until their arrival.

It is a good moment to address fire personnel and Public Safety when incidents like these occur. When a fire apparatus is parked with emergency lights flashing, there are likely fire units on the ground conducting active operations. If you find yourself upon a scene in which a fire apparatus is parked with emergency lights flashing, please consider an alternative route. It is never appropriate to attempt to drive around a fire apparatus with its lights flashing. We park our apparatus deliberately in such a way so that it protects us and you. In the case of power lines, we always consider them live wires. This simply means that we assume that they have live power to them. These wires can carry anywhere from 2000 to 50000 volts of electricity.

We Appreciate the citizens of Blacksburg for their patience cooperation and understanding with us as we work to resolve utility emergency such as these.