ComEd Blames Rogue Raccoon for Sunday's Damaging Power Surge

Commonwealth Edison is blaming a rogue raccooncustomers and fried residents' electronics equipment and appliances in Oak Lawn.

Sign up for the Oak Lawn Patch newsletter and follow us on Facebook.

Dozens of ComEd customers in Oak Lawn complained they lost computers, TVs, cable boxes, wine refrigerators and other appliances when a powerful electrical surge went coursing through the village's utility lines.

Village Manager Larry Deetjen said the first call of the power surge came at 11:49 p.m. Saturday from a security guard at the Miami Motel at 91st and Cicero Avenue.

The security guard reported hearing a loud pop and snapping, before an electrical wire fell across Cicero Avenue, closing off traffic between 91st and 95th Streets. The wire was removed by 12:53 a.m. making Cicero safe for passage.

Oak Lawn residents also reported power going out around 12:15 a.m. Sunday. The affected area appeared to be bounded by 87th Street on the north to 99th Street on the south, east to Cicero and west to Central Avenue.

Police Division Chief Michael Kaufmann said that the Oak Lawn Fire Department informed police of three runs at 12:11 a.m., 12:20 a.m. and 1:14 a.m. Sunday, from residents reporting smelling smoke in their homes and electrical outlets and light switches that were smoking.

The fire calls were in the vicinity of 90th Street and 50th Avenue, 91st Street and 53rd Avenue, and 91st Street and Cicero Avenue.

An automated outage message at 1-800-EDISON1 on Sunday morning said that 1,074 customers were affected. Service was restored by 2:15 a.m.

Within this time frame, an Oak Lawn firefighter reported downed power lines behind Freshline Foods at 5355 W. 95th St.

Deetjen said that the cause or causes of the surge were still unknown as of Monday. He did not know the extent of customers affected.

“There is no confirmation by Commonwealth Edison,” Deetjen said. “Some of the surges I’m hearing, the damage was done after power was restored.”

On Monday afternoon, Patch received an email from a ComEd spokeswoman who said that the cause of the surge was determined to be a raccoon or “wildlife contact.”

Customers may not be eligible for reimbursement of costs to repair or replace items because the raccoon was an act of God, and, therefore considered beyond the utility's control.

Download the ComEd claim form by clicking on the pdf on the right.

Trustee Alex Olejniczak (Dist. 2) said he spoke to several residents who had lost computers, TVs, ceiling fans and other appliances during Sunday's power surge. Witnesses reported seeing a blue flash lighting up the sky.

More than a dozen residents reported on the Oak Lawn Patch Facebook page of sustaining damaged electronics and electric appliances.

Olejniczak said he learned from a constiutent that a ComEd worker told her later Sunday morning that a raccoon got into the transformer behind Freshline.

“It was such a powerful surge that people’s surge protectors were smoking,” Olejniczak said. “I can’t believe [ComEd] would use a lame excuse like a raccoon. It wasn’t like a lightning strike. Why does it take two days for them to figure out what it is?”

A Commonwealth Edison representative will be at Village Hall beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday (March 13) to help residents fill out claim forms.

In the meantime, residents who suffered damages are encouraged to download or complete ComEd claim form online.

“I would advise everyone and his brother to fill the claim forms,” Olejniczak said.

Should Oak Lawn pursue reimbursement of damages to residents from Commonwealth Edison? Tell us in the comments.

WHAT TO READ NEXT:

• Police Cameras, SW Highway and Central Project Weigh on Village Board Agenda
• Worth Township Denies Freedom of Information Request Seeking 102 Documents
• ‘There’s A Kind of Hush All Over Oak Lawn’