Wildfire Season: Keeping Our Community Safe

Kyle Roadman, EPUD General Manager

Hello Emerald Customer-Owners,

Well, the sun is finally out and the days are turning warm. And while we all love an Oregon summer, this particular season carries an increased risk that we all need to be aware of.

Predictions are now calling for a strong El Niño to develop over the summer and fall, with conditions not seen since 2015 or 1997. For the western U.S., this weather pattern tends to push the storm track north and leave a warmer, drier late summer in its wake. In plain terms: more dry fuel, and a longer window for fire to start and spread. We don’t take that lightly, and neither should you.

The good news is that wildfire preparedness is something we work on all year long, and not just when the forecast turns. Here’s where things stand.

What We’re Doing to Prepare

Our approach still rests on the same two tools I’ve written about before, and we’re improving them all the time:

• Vegetation Management: Keeping trees, limbs, and debris away from our lines remains the single best thing we can do to prevent an ignition. Our in-house crews trim and inspect year-round, working through our entire system on a regular cycle. We don’t just cut to the minimum clearance. We aim to keep growth well clear of our equipment.
• Flexible System Operations: We’ve invested heavily in equipment that lets us “dial in” how sensitive our lines are to contact. Most of the time we run in our normal settings, because maximum sensitivity all the time would mean constant, unnecessary outages. But as risk climbs, we can tighten those settings. This includes all the way down to “one shot,” where a line de-energizes at the very first sign of debris contact rather than trying to re-energize.

We’re also making new investments in the field. One example: we’ve added a water wagon that our crews can take on the road, so that if a brush fire ever starts near a worksite, they can respond immediately rather than wait. It’s a small piece of a much larger effort, but it reflects how seriously we take this.

How We Operate During High-Risk Events

Behind the scenes, we’re constantly monitoring conditions, using fire-weather forecasts, Red Flag Warnings, the state’s active-fire data, and on-the-ground reports from our own crews. As risk rises, our system steps through escalating operating modes, as shown in the diagram below.

A Public Safety Power Shut Off (PSPS) is never a decision we make lightly and will only be used as a last resort. Losing power carries its own risks for water systems, medical equipment, and evacuations. But it remains a vital tool when conditions are truly dangerous.

How We’ll Reach You

Although it isn’t always possible, if we need to modify the system or call a PSPS, we’ll do our best to give advance notice. When there’s time, we’ll send word by automated phone call, text, and email, and post updates to our website and Facebook page.

That only works if we can reach you. Please take two minutes to make sure your phone numbers and email are current in SmartHub. And sign up for emergency alerts at LaneAlerts.org (note that EPUD does not issue evacuation notices; those come from Lane County and other official sources).

Where You Come In

Here’s my one big ask. The most common cause of fire-related line contact is vegetation, and the trees that worry us most aren’t always the ones in our right-of-way.

A tall, dead, or leaning tree growing outside our right-of-way can still fall far enough to hit our lines. We have limits on what we can do with trees on private property, so we need your help:

• Keep trees, limbs, and debris clear of our lines wherever you can.
• Tell us about hazard trees, even those outside our right-of-way, if they look like they could reach our equipment. Please don’t assume we already know.
• Know the difference between what’s our responsibility and what’s yours. This short video breaks it down:

If you’re interested, you can read our most recent Wildfire Mitigation & Response Plan filed with the State of Oregon and review our wildfire season resources page for more information.

We’ve seen how much wildfire can take from our communities, and we treat that risk with the seriousness it deserves. With a potentially difficult season ahead, a little preparation now goes a long way. We’re all in this together.