Update 12:45 p.m.
A spokeswoman for NorthWestern Energy said a squirrel in a substation caused the power outage that affected Billings on Wednesday afternoon.
The power outage affected about 3,000 customers, she said.
Crews were working to restore power and some customers have had power restored, she said.
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BILLINGS - A widespread power outage hit Billings just before noon on Wednesday.
According toNorthWestern Energy, an estimated 1,692 customers were affected by the outage, and the company estimated power would be returned at 1:45 p.m.
The cause of the outage and the exact areas affected was not immediately clear.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
