Washington power substations vandalized weeks after grid attacked in North Carolina

Three power substations in Pierce County, Washington, were vandalized and a fourth was set on fire, leaving thousands of customers without power just weeks after electrical grid attacks targeted North and South Carolina.

Nothing was stolen from two of the substations during the burglaries on Sunday, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department said, but more than 14,000 customers lost power.

The first call of a burglary at the Tacoma Public Utilities Substation came in shortly before 5:20 a.m. on Christmas morning. Officials found forced entry into the fenced area and damaged equipment, but nothing was missing. 

Officials were notified of a second public substation burglary as well and the scene looked the same, authorities said.

By about 11:30 a.m., Puget Sound Energy, a private utility company, notified deputies about a power outage nine hours earlier and officials discovered a break-in and vandalism.

By Sunday evening, first responders were called to a fire at another Puget Sound Energy substation, which showed similar signs of a break-in and damage.

"We do not have any suspects in custody. It is unknown if there are any motives or if this was a coordinated attack on the power systems," the sheriff's department said. 

Earlier this month, two electric substations were damaged by gunfire in North Carolina, leaving 45,000 people without power.

After a witness reported seeing an individual with a rifle open fire near a power station in South Carolina, the FBI said earlier this month it is seeking potential links between the shooter and the attacks in North Carolina.

At least six electricity substations in Washington and Oregon have been attacked since last month, The Seattle Times reported.

The FBI issued a warning on Nov. 22 about reports of extremists threatening infrastructure to "create civil disorder and inspire further violence," the alert said, according to CNN.