Downed Wires

If you see downed electrical wires, stay away and warn others. Call BGE immediately and a crew will be dispatched to fix the problem. BGE employees work to repair a downed wire.

BGE employees work to repair a downed wire.

Please review and share the following electrical safety information:

Assume that all overhead wires are energized at lethal voltages. Never assume that a wire is safe to touch!
Never touch a fallen overhead power line. Call BGE at 1-877-778-2222 to report fallen electrical lines.
Stay at least 10ft away from overhead wires during cleanup and other activities. Survey the area before starting work for the presence of overhead wires and avoid touching anything that may be in contact with a wire, like tree limbs or other debris.
If an overhead wire falls across your vehicle while you are driving, stay inside the vehicle and continue to drive away from the line. If the engine stalls, do not leave your vehicle. Warn people not to touch the vehicle or the wire. Call emergency services.

During storms, BGE uses a three-pronged public safety process to repair downed wires:

Public safety patrollers respond to wire-down jobs to assess any threat to public and determine whether wires belong to BGE.
Public safety stand-by crews report to the scene and “guard” down wire to keep public at a safe distance.
Cut and clear crews relieve public safety stand-by crews and physically make situation safe.