Prioritizing public safety before, during and after a wildfire

roadway with power lines with white truck parked, viewed from behind, trees on fire to the right

How wildfires can contribute to power outages

  • During a fire, burned trees and branches are more likely to fail and possibly fall into power lines, causing an outage.
  • Protective equipment on BPA transmission lines can “trip,” or shut off, power when specific conditions, like heavy smoke, occur. 
  • BPA may deenergize lines or substations at the request of fire officials to allow firefighters to safely fight wildfires near transmission infrastructure.
  • When fire danger is high and certain weather conditions are met, BPA may enact a public safety power shutoff as an emergency procedure of last resort.

Power line corridors can act as fire breaks

Because transmission line rights-of-way are maintained to have low growing vegetation to prevent power outages and provide ease of access to our transmission corridors, they can act as fire breaks for wildfires. These open spaces beneath and adjacent to power lines can help prevent fires from spreading due to a lack of underbrush fuel sources. 

Restoring power after a wildfire

  • BPA line crews rely on firefighters’ expertise and wait for guidance from fire officials before they enter an impacted area to assess damage and conduct repairs.
  • If lines are damaged or out of service, BPA crews work around the clock to energize lines as soon as it is safe to perform work. 
  • Even if lines aren’t damaged, BPA may not be able to reenergize lines if heavy smoke persists nearby. Smoke can create a path for electricity between the transmission wire and the ground in a process known as flashover or smoke bridging. 
  • Even if all BPA facilities are in service, local utility distribution lines may be damaged or require additional time to restore service safely to the public. 

BPA's work continues after a fire

When a fire damages trees near BPA power lines, the agency assesses which trees pose a future threat to transmissions lines and removes them. Removing fire-damaged trees before they fall into BPA transmission lines reduces the risk for future power outages. Additionally, if transmission poles or other infrastructure have been damaged in a fire, BPA crews may erect a temporary structure to maintain service until a more permanent fix for the original structure can be determined.

For more information

To learn how BPA plans for and mitigates risks associated with wildfire activity, see our Wildfire Mitigation page.