Toronto Blackout: Raccoon Contact Causes Power Outage for Thousands of Hydro Customers in Canadian City; Watch Video

Toronto faced a major blackout as the majority of houses in the city were seen without power after a raccoon came into contact with Hydro One equipment at a downtown station. The outage began at about 7:40 p.m. (GMT), but all power was restored by about 10:20 p.m., according to Toronto Hydro.

Toronto Hydro reporting power outage to a significant area in downtown core. Our crews are responding to a higher number of elevator rescues in these areas. Consider using stairs where power is out. Be mindful of fire safety as Hydro works to restore power. ^dc #torontohttps://t.co/WxD3G7uRbB

— Toronto Fire Services (@Toronto_Fire) February 2, 2024

Watch Video:

WATCH: A raccoon has reportedly caused large power outage in Toronto, Canada – thousands of people affected

pic.twitter.com/jgVxCC1Xly

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) February 2, 2024

At its peak around 9:30 p.m., about 7,000 Toronto Hydro customers were affected. The utility stated that customers within the boundaries of St. Clair Avenue West to Gerrard Street West and Avenue Road to the Don Valley Parkway were affected.

Hydro One announced on X, formerly Twitter, that the outage was on its transmission system, which affected Toronto Hydro. "Crews have determined that a raccoon made contact with our equipment at a downtown Toronto station," Hydro One said.

Update: All power has been restored. Thank you again for your patience. If you’re still without power, please report it to our dispatch team directly by calling 416-542-8000 (press 1). https://t.co/L0RwtYvyy3

— Toronto Hydro (@TorontoHydro) February 2, 2024

Toronto Fire Services reported on X (formerly known as Twitter) that it responded to elevator rescues in about seven buildings. No injuries were reported.