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Well, the request didn’t work. Early last week, Firefly Fiber Broadband put out a statement, asking hunters to avoid shooting near power lines, due to the damage it has caused in the past. Instead, when dove season opened, hunters shot like normal and caused damage to the company’s infrastructure in multiple counties around this region. As a result, there were several phone and internet outages over the weekend in some areas. 

“The damage to our fiber network caused by bird shot is a reminder of the continued challenges we face,” said Firefly Communications and Customer Service Manager Melissa Gay. “However, I firmly believe that with our collective resilience and determination, we can turn this setback into an opportunity for education and growth.”

Basically, Firefly officials hope to convince hunters to avoid shooting near any type of power line or utility pole, to avoid hitting their equipment. And by far, this isn’t a one-time problem. As we reported last September, in multiple incidents, Firefly Fiber officials said hunters attempted to shoot doves perched on or near a power line. They missed, hitting the fiber optic casing instead. During that first segment of dove season, which ran from Sept. 2 to Oct. 22, 2023, Firefly officials say their fiber optic cable was damaged in Appomattox, Buckingham, Cumberland and parts of Powhatan counties. That led to a number of internet outages. 

For example, just counting Labor Day 2023, Firefly’s fiber optic cable was damaged in six localities from birdshot, resulting in phone and internet outages for thousands of customers and a hefty bill for Firefly. Since then, company officials point out, the footprint has expanded to more than 30,000 customers, with between 200 to 250 added each week as new lines go in. But that also means more fiber optic cables in places where they can be a target. And now, history repeats itself. 

What triggers the internet outages? 

The problem is that the new fiber optic cables were set up on electric poles, running adjacent to and underneath the electric lines. The actual optical fibers are protected by glass tubing, which shatters on impact when shot and disrupts both internet and phone.

Firefly CEO Gary Wood says he understands this is a new thing that hunters have to adjust to. But every time one of these casings get hit, you run the risk of internet in the area going down for hours while the problem gets fixed. And by area we mean your home, your neighbors and potentially everyone within a several mile radius.

“Damage to fiber during dove hunting season is a new phenomenon for Firefly and for local hunters,” Wood said. “These folks have been hunting the same land for years and rarely caused damage by shooting at doves on the power lines. However, the landscape has changed over the past few years and there is now fiber just beneath the power lines that is susceptible to birdshot.” 

Shooting at power lines is illegal 

Now there’s one more problem to mention. Technically, the act of shooting at power lines itself is illegal. By that, we mean shooting at power lines can lead to charges. Section 8, Article 18.2-153 of the Virginia Code states that any injury or damage done to “any lines of any electric power company” can lead to Class 6 felony charges. That means hunters simply aiming at a bird and missing, as the Code includes incidents “committed unlawfully, but not maliciously.”Dove hunting season will continue in segments through January 2025. And as a result, Firefly officials ask hunters to think twice before shooting over the next few months, especially near their equipment.