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PG&E power lines electrocutes horse in Los Osos

October 28, 2020

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A bird flew into a power line in Los Osos, knocking it down and causing it to fall on a horse, electrocuting and killing the animal, according to PG&E. [KSBY]

Cindy Molnar said she owned her horse, Josie, for 20 years. She acquired Josie as a two-year-old, and the horse grew up with her children and took care of them, Molnar said.

Josie lived on a property in Los Osos for the last 15 years.

On Monday evening, Molnar came out to feed her horse and then learned from a neighbor that Josie had died. The neighbor said her own horse was with Josie when the power line fell. It is a miracle her own horse survived the incident, the neighbor said.

PG&E statement released a statement on Tuesday explaining the incident.

“PG&E was saddened to learn of an electric incident yesterday that resulted in the death of a horse and an outage to 2,500 customers in Los Osos,” the utility said in the statement. “PG&E crews found that a bird flew into a power line, causing it to arc and then fall, where it came in contact with a horse.”

Molnar said the bottom line is it could have been a human who died because of the downed power line.


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My Heart Breaks for this family. Just tragic. So sorry for your loss, and pain of lossing a beloved friend.

How in the world does a bird cause this to happen? You will never contol birds. So how in the world does P GE allow circumstances to instigate blame on a Bird??? Wow!


0

This shouldn’t have happened, even with an eight pound eagle or a ten pound condor. The construction and O&M of power distribution lines (facilities) in California is regulated by CPUC General Order 95 et seq. and it’s a 597 page PDF that covers nearly everything, and such lines are mostly tightly strung, steel core wrapped with aluminum conductor material. An aerialist Walenda could safely tightrope walk most unelectrified and WELL MAINTAINED stretches of conductor.


We lost a horse to age, and it’s traumatic. Yes we are over-attached to some pets and livestock, perhaps. Our condolences to the Molnar family and grateful that line didn’t touch an adult or child.


9

Dig a trench and put the lines under ground like responsible inhabitants of a desert state facing rising temperatures….I’ll bet the cost is less than the fire carnage….and we can employ the homeless and unemployed all at the same time…..


9

Working with high voltage electrical lines requires years under an electrical apprenticeship. You aren’t going to be employing the homeless. There’s also the cost of insulating the lines to consider. I was also under the impression that fires are caused more often by the transformers than the actual lines.


8

Must have been one big bird. Giant Teratorn?


12

Seagullasouras. Sorry for your loss.


7