Powering Wildfire Safety and Prevention

By Pacific Power

May is National Wildfire Awareness Month

As wildfire becomes more frequent and intense throughout the West, Pacific Power’s highest priority is the safety of our customers, communities and employees. During National Wildfire Awareness Month, we’re sharing what we’re doing to prepare for wildfire season and what our customers can do to be ready.  

Staying One Step Ahead of Wildfire

Through our Wildfire Intelligence Center, meteorologists and public safety partners, we are building an integrated system designed to anticipate, monitor and respond to wildfires and extreme weather with precision and speed. Our Wildfire Intelligence Center detects, monitors and analyzes wildfire and extreme weather events in real-time to inform safety and operational decisions, including Public Safety Power Shutoffs and emergency de-energizations. Our in-house meteorologists monitor more than 350 weather stations and cameras and develop daily forecasts. They also apply more than 30 years of historical data in creating risk and scenario models to identify where fires may ignite or spread based on weather conditions. See weather stations near you at PacificPowerWeather.com.  

How We Operate During Wildfire Season

We’re focused on how we can operate the system to protect areas we serve by reducing wildfire risks and impacts. This includes regular system inspections and vegetation management, and technology and practices that turn off power in certain instances and locations to prevent wildfire ignitions.  

• Enhanced Safety Settings: When fire-risk conditions are elevated, we use enhanced safety settings on our equipment to turn off power within fractions of a second if interference is detected on our power lines, like a tree branch, debris or wildlife.  ‍
• Public Safety Power Shutoffs: In conditions of extreme wildfire risk, we may also de-energize lines as a preventive measure to protect customers and communities. This is known as a Public Safety Power Shutoff. ‍
• Emergency de-energizations: If active wildfires are moving too close to power lines, poles or equipment, we will carry out an emergency de-energization and turn off power to the affected areas.

We understand any power outage is a hardship for our customers and communities. We will provide as much notification as possible so customers can make informed decisions.

Preparing for Wildfire Season

Even with the significant wildfire-prevention measures Pacific Power is implementing and the continuous improvements we’re making to our system, we know wildfires are a threat we all face together. We encourage our customers to stay informed, plan ahead and be prepared for the possibility of outages during wildfire season. This includes updating contact information and notification preferences with us, so we can provide service and safety notices. Call Pacific Power’s friendly Customer Service team 24/7 at 1-888-221-7070 or go online to PacificPower.net/Account now to check your information. If you have an access or functional need such as a medical need for electricity, Pacific Power’s medical certificate and self-certification programs may help provide additional resources. Learn more at PacificPower.net/Accessibility and PacificPower.net/Medical.  

Learn more about our wildfire safety and prevention efforts at PacificPower.net/Wildfire.