Lineworkers Brave Swampy Terrain and Fire to Restore Power

When a downed electrical transmission power line caused a small fire in a swampy area, lineworkers from Wolverine Power Cooperative and Cherryland Electric Cooperative sprang into action. This challenging situation required them to navigate through difficult terrain and use a small boat to reach the site. Their dedication and teamwork were instrumental in restoring power to the affected area.

“You definitely never know what you’re going to run into,” said Wolverine Operations Supervisor, Steve Robbins. “It’s always a surprise when you arrive on scene.”

The Challenging Mission:

The lineworkers faced a daunting task as they made their way to the location. With the power line down over a small pond and the presence of a small fire, they had to venture into the swampy terrain. Despite the obstacles, they didn’t just throw their hands up.  

Teamwork and Cooperation:

While the local fire department navigated to the scene, led by the Energy Control Center (ECC), Wolverine and Cherryland lineworkers joined forces to tackle the situation together. Wolverine's crew, led by John Stanhope, Elijah Walburn, and Steve Robbins, was the first to arrive on the scene. It was clear they were going to need to reach the transmission line using a boat. And while our crews are very prepared, a boat isn’t something that is automatically just hitched up to the trucks. This was going to take a team effort.

Cherryland lineworkers jumped right in to help, with Nick Newell making calls to procure a boat for the team. Dave Bott, brought the crew the boat and guided other members of ECC to the location. Meanwhile, Cherryland Systems Engineer Chris Vermeulen worked with field crews to begin reconfiguring the distribution system to work around the transmission outage to restore power for as many members as possible as quickly as possible.

Restoring Power:

The lineworkers' efforts were not limited to repairing the transmission line. Cherryland’s line crew of Joe Bennetts, Jeff Butcher, Nick Newell, and Chad Cordner provided crucial assistance by bringing bucket trucks and helping Vermeulen reconfigure the system. They successfully turned the lights back on for more than 75% of the 8,100 Cherryland members impacted by the outage before the transmission line was repaired. When crews finished work repairing the transmission line, they worked to transfer the load back to normal. Their coordination ensured a smooth transition and efficient power restoration for the affected members.

“This kind of quick action and all-hands-on-deck mentality speaks volumes to all of our crews’ desire to get the lights back on,” said Robbins. “In the end, the repair, even under these extreme circumstances, took about three and a half hours. I never doubt our teams’ commitment to our members and their member-owners.”