Utility: Rodents in power switch caused Las Vegas resort outage

LAS VEGAS — A power outage that prompted evacuation of hundreds of casino patrons and prevented guests from checking in for several busy hours at a Las Vegas Strip resort was caused by rodents at an off-site utility switching center, authorities said Friday.

Clark County fire officials said power went out at the Paris Las Vegas just after 7 p.m. Thursday and that fire crews and Las Vegas police helped evacuate casino patrons while guests already in their hotel rooms were allowed to stay put.

Utility provider NV Energy told the Las Vegas Review-Journal the problem was traced to a high-voltage transfer switch near the property. It said the initial outage affected 16 customers, including the resort.

Fire Chief John Steinbeck said people were rescued from six stalled elevators before power was restored about 9:50 p.m. No injuries were reported.

Resort owner Caesars Entertainment doesn’t contract with NV Energy for electricity, the Las Vegas Sun reports . But NV Energy has the transmission lines and switching facilities in the area.

The hotel owner paid more than $47 million in 2017 to leave the dominant utility in the state and buy its power from Tenaska Power Services of Arlington, Texas.