Rocky Mountain Power is improving its efforts to mitigate wildfire risks by enhancing weather monitoring capabilities, managing vegetation more actively and strengthening its infrastructure.
These measures are part of a comprehensive strategy to ensure the safety of customers and communities across the service area, including Eagle Mountain.
To prevent potential wildfire ignitions, Rocky Mountain Power is prepared to de-energize power lines during periods of high wildfire risk, according to a press release. This preventative measure is essential to protect both the natural environment and populated areas, RMP says.
Key components of Rocky Mountain Power’s updated safety strategy include:
- Enhanced Safety Settings: Devices equipped with these settings will automatically de-energize lines upon detecting faults, significantly reducing the likelihood of fire ignitions.
- Public Safety Power Shutoff: Implementing a Public Safety Power Shutoff will depend on extreme weather conditions, such as high wind speeds, low humidity, and critically dry fuels. These shutoffs aim to prevent wildfire outbreaks in vulnerable areas.
- Encroachment Strategy/Emergency De-energization: In scenarios where an active wildfire threatens power lines or equipment, Rocky Mountain Power will conduct an emergency de-energization. This proactive approach is designed to minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfires.
For residents seeking more information, Rocky Mountain Power provides several resources:
- A detailed explanation of emergency de-energizations can be found on their website.
- Comprehensive wildfire safety information is available at RockyMountainPower.net/Wildfire.
- Customers can get outage updates and sign up for alerts at RockyMountainPower.net/Outages and RockyMountainPower.net/Alerts.
As of today, Rocky Mountain Power has adjusted one of Eagle Mountain’s circuits to a more sensitive setting. This circuit traverses the mountain and grasslands areas that are particularly susceptible to wildfires.