BC Hydro at work: Helicopter blasts snow, ice off power lines
Dec. 19, 2012: The unusual weather conditions in the North Thompson led to BC Hydro implementing an unusual solution to ensure reliable service to several hundred customers near Barriere.
BC Hydro used a helicopter to blast snow and ice off trees near a remote power line that crosses through an area of dense forest along Highway 5 north of Barriere.
In the last several days a number of outages were caused by heavy snow-laden branches and trees coming down on the line. The line was de-energized for an hour to ensure safety during the helicopter work and line crews were standing-by to quickly restore service once the work was complete.
