Item: Theft causes power outage: Avista blames stolen copper, equipment failure/Alecia Warren, Coeur d'Alene Press

More Info: Roughly 6,000 were without power Monday morning across Kootenai County and part of Spokane, when theft at an Avista Utilities substation led to two stations being off line. Avista crews discovered early Monday that copper wiring had been clipped from equipment in a dozen places at the substation at Prairie Avenue and Huetter Road, which resulted in power operating at lower levels. The utility decided to take the station off line and transfer customers to the Appleway substation, where other pieces of equipment failed in the process.

Question: Dan Kolbet of Avista described this theft as an act of brazen stupidity because it endangered the lives of the crooks, as well as Avista customers. Do you agree/disagree?