By C1 Staff
PAYE COUNTY, Okla. — Three separate instances of squirrel suicide knocked out the Payne County Jail’s electric service Monday morning.
The Stillwater News Press reports that the rodents came into contact with transformers on the courthouse roof.
The jail’s large battery backup units have been credited with keeping control rooms from going down, and Capt. Kevin Woodward said the emergency generator kicks in after 10 seconds to keep systems running.
Power was restored to all buildings by 11 a.m. and none of the jail’s $10,000 to $12,000 battery backups were damaged. Damaged units in other officers are smaller and cost less.
Woodward said he’s unsure why the squirrels targeted the jail in particular, but he says they may have been trying to stay warm or looking for a place to nest.