Reminder, fiber optic lines seen in Baker City are not downed power lines.
By Garrett Christensen on Thursday, March 28th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER CITY – UPDATE 3/28/24
The wording of the article has been updated with feedback from OTEC to avoid confusion and possible hesitation in the event of an emergency.
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Recently, Zipply Fiber has been preparing to install new fiber optic lines at some 2500 residents across Baker City (blue zones on map). Before final installation, these lines are often laid out in the open near their respective construction sites. However, there is ongoing confusion among some Baker City residents as to the purpose of these lines.
Recently, Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative (OTEC) has received some calls reporting downed power lines across Baker City due to residents misidentifying the uninstalled fiber optic lines with power lines. For any residents within the new fiber optic construction areas (blue zones on map), these fiber optic lines are not related to OTEC infrastructure. Residents unsure if what they’re looking at is fiber optic or power infrastructure can review the Ziply Fiber expansion map at https://ziplyfiber.com/new-fiber-locations to see if they’re within areas of new construction.
For the sake of safety, of course, any downed, damaged, or otherwise perceivably dangerous electrical infrastructure should be reported to OTEC and 911 immediately. Do not hesitate to report.
