These outages occur when protective devices, called reclosers, operate. When a recloser detects an object interfering with a line, they de-energize the line briefly to determine if the interference is permanent or if it is simply a momentary problem. If the recloser determines that the interference was temporary, the line will re-energize. If the interference is detected to be permanent, the recloser will de-energize the line. These brief outages are usually caused by wildlife, trees, or lightning.