May 26, 2020 3:25 a.m.
With wildfire season already underway in parts of the west, a release from Pacific Power said the utility is adding new safety measures and system enhancements to continue to protect the communities it serves while providing safe reliable power.
David Lucas, vice president of transmission and distribution operations, said while it is impossible to eliminate all wildfire risks, they continue to invest in their system in high-risk areas to reduce the chance of utility-caused fires during extreme weather. Lucas said they will continue to upgrade their system to mitigate wildfire risk, protect people and property and increase equipment resiliency. He said “the essential work and investment underscores our continued commitment to doing our part in the evolving preventative fight against wildfires”.
The release said last year, in addition to regular inspection schedules, crews performed 20,000 extra facility inspections system-wide. Other mitigation measures include:
*Investing in new technologies, such as covered overhead wire to prevent sparks from occurring when debris or branches fall into line.
*Installing dozens of weather monitoring stations throughout high risk wildfire areas for deeper insight into weather-related threats.
*Enhanced plant and tree clearings around power lines and poles in high risk areas.
*Coordinating with state and local government officials and forestry management groups and other stakeholders to ensure public safety.
Pacific Power recently released an easy-to-use interactive map to view areas where a Public Safety Power Shutoff may occur. Those are rare instances when the power could be proactively shut off in specific, high-risk areas to prevent wildfires ignitions. Contact Pacific Power for more information.