SPOKANE, Wash. — Avista customers should prepare for longer and more frequent power outages this summer as the utility company implements enhanced wildfire safety measures.
The power company uses two different fire safety modes that make power lines more sensitive to being struck by trees and other objects, according to Vern Malensky, director of Avista’s wildfire resiliency program.
When outages occur while lines operate in fire safety mode, crews must manually inspect the equipment before restoring power, extending repair times.
“Outages may be a little bit longer and there are certain scenarios where those outages can impact our most vulnerable customers,” Malensky said.
Avista’s wildfire safety program includes public safety power shutoffs, which involve proactively turning off electricity during days with extreme wildfire risk. These planned outages aim to prevent power lines from potentially starting fires before dangerous conditions develop.
“We try to balance reliability and wildfire risk differently as we see wildfire risk increase,” Malensky explained. “In those most critical moments when there’s extreme wildfire risk to our communities, we’ll do a public safety power shut off.”
The company’s wildfire response protocols extend beyond equipment modifications. During active fire situations, Avista coordinates with local fire departments to ensure power lines remain safe for emergency responders. Avista recently de-energized power lines north of Kettle Falls during the Lake Spokane Fire to assist firefighters, though the action delayed some evacuees from removing trailers from the fire zone.
For customers who depend on electricity for critical medical equipment, Avista has developed support programs to address planned power shutoffs.
“In those situations where we have customers with critical medical equipment, we do have a program where we will provide them a backup battery to support their equipment while they have a transition plan or they have to relocate during a potential public safety power shut off situation,” Malensky said.
Customers should prepare for potential service interruptions during high-risk wildfire periods and consider backup power options for essential needs. Those with critical medical equipment should contact Avista to learn about available battery backup programs before wildfire season intensifies.
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