Flyaway canopy from new bar patio hits powerline, causing outage, grass fire

Many Brainerd residents experienced flickering lights and power outages Wednesday afternoon, June 2, after a fluke accident with a patio canopy.

Lights went out about 3 p.m. when a canopy from the new patio under construction at CC’s Bar on Washington Street in northeast Brainerd blew into a powerline across the street near Jimmy John’s, affecting the transformer and various insulators throughout the city. At least 230 Brainerd Public Utilities customers were without power around the city as of 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the BPU outage map.

Bar owner C.C. Miles was quick to take to Facebook to claim responsibility and apologize to the community, saying she felt sick to her stomach and could not apologize enough.

Miles said later Wednesday afternoon during a phone interview that a handyman was scheduled to come bolt down the canopies at 5 p.m. that day, and the incident happened in the half-hour she happened to be away from the bar. The canopy somehow flew over a large wall and landed in the powerline.

“We feel terribly, but we can’t really take it back, and it was not intentional. It was completely a fluke incident,” she said.

Other community members were quick to accept the apology and reassure Miles accidents can happen to anyone. One person on Facebook even suggested the bar create a new drink called “Lights Out,” while another said the drink would have to have an umbrella in it.

“So far we’ve gotten positive reactions in attempting to apologize and no negative backlash, but we’re so new that it is scary. And we feel so bad,” Miles said, also giving a kudos to BPU crews for getting the power back on quickly and adding she’ll take care of everything with the city after the incident.

The canopies at CC’s Bar, which opened earlier this year, are now bolted down, and power was largely restored to the city by late Wednesday afternoon.

Brainerd Fire Chief Tim Holmes said a small grass fire erupted across the street on the BNSF Railway property, likely as a result of powerline arcing, which happens when an electric current flows through the air between two conductors. Holmes said the fire was not major.

THERESA BOURKE may be reached at theresa.bourke@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5860. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchTheresa .

1/4: The table canopy that caused the disruption lies in the parking lot after being dragged back from across the street Wednesday, June 2, 2021, in northeast Brainerd. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch

2/4: Brainerd Public Utilities crews work on a powerline across the street from Jimmy John's Wednesday, June 2, 2021, in northeast Brainerd. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch

3/4: Brainerd Public Utilities crews work on a powerline across the street from Jimmy John's Wednesday, June 2, 2021, in northeast Brainerd. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch

4/4: A small grass fire started from sparking power lines Wednesday, June 2, 2021, in northeast Brainerd. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch