Squirrel Blacks Out Miss America Party

An unlucky squirrel wandered into a Puget Power transformer, causing a blackout at a party for Auburn’s first-ever Miss America contestant.

About 1,400 Auburn customers lost electricity Saturday night, including City Hall, where dozens of local supporters had just settled in to cheer on Auburn beauty queen Amber Hamilton on the city council’s big-screen TV.

“We had everything set up and then an accident with the transformer down on Main Street took out all our power,” said Auburn Mayor Chuck Booth.

The party moved on to a home that did have lights and cable, while Booth and his wife and a couple other couples stayed behind - in the dark for awhile - directing supporters to the new location.

Betty Werblun, a Puget Power spokeswoman, said power was restored to most residents within an hour.

The squirrel didn’t survive Saturday night’s encounter with the transformer.

And the 18-year-old Hamilton didn’t make the cut to 10 semifinalists.

A straight-A student who plans to major in engineering at the University of Washington, Hamilton was crowned Miss Auburn in January. She went on to win the Miss Washington title in June.