Snakes are always synonymous with evil or trickery ... Well, true to their stereotype, one slithery little guy caused a major power outage.
On Monday, July 17, a snake slithered his way into an electrical substation, resulting in a major power outage for thousands of people in Platteville, Johnstown, Milliken, and Loveland.
According to Xcel Energy, the slithery reptile was the reason 6,500 customers were suddenly without power in those areas. Apparently, the snake climbed 12 feet into some equipment at a substation in Johnstown. Somewhere along his journey, he caused a malfunction, resulting in thousands of people losing their power.
The mischievous critter didn't stop there, though. He also started a small fire due to his wriggling around the equipment. Front Range Fire Rescue responded to reports of a fire around 9:39 p.m. The crew was able to easily extinguish the flames, but unfortunately for the snake, according to Chief Ron Bateman, "[he] didn't fare so well."
Bateman and fellow authorities are unsure exactly how the snake managed to scale the 12-foot equipment and are definitely unsure exactly how he caused a fire. I suppose Xcel Energy will be spending the next few weeks snake-proofing the fenced-in area.
RIP, you sneaky lil' snake.
