With the Southern Interior's hottest months just around the corner, FortisBC is putting important safety measures into place to help protect communities and its electricity system against wildfires, which includes adding extra precautions that could result in power outages.
To further enhance its wildfire safety practices, FortisBC has introduced a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) policy, a new precautionary measure where electricity is proactively shut off in selected areas in advance of extreme weather. FortisBC is advising its customers to be prepared for these potential outages that help reduce potential ignition sources.
“We’ve all likely witnessed, and in some cases been personally impacted by, the devastation of wildfires,” said Shawn Conway, FortisBC’s director of operations. “With the safety of the public and our employees our top priority, we take the risk of wildfires very seriously and take precautions that could result in our customers experiencing more frequent or longer than typical power outages.”
Annual condition assessments, clearing trees and other vegetation from its right-of-way, applying fire retardant to poles and other equipment, and making line patrols are all part of FortisBC's year-round efforts to protect the public and the electricity system from the risk of wildfire. The PSPS adds additional safety, said Conway.
Throughout wildfire season, FortisBC turns on power line safety settings that increase electricity equipment sensitivity, resulting in situations that would normally go unnoticed, such as debris contacting a line during a windstorm, triggering an outage as a safety precaution. The power could also be out longer than usual as crews manually inspect the line before restoring power.
Active wildfires could also result in outages, and crews may have to shut off power while they consult with local fire authorities to support firefighting activities. Crews would only inspect equipment and make any repairs to restore power once the fire has passed.
However, the public safety policy to arbitrarily shut off power in certain areas during emergencies raised concerns with the Greenwood City Council during the April 14 meeting.
This policy was introduced at the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary’s last board meeting and there was significant pushback on the new policy, explained Councillor CJ Rhodes, so this should be up for discussion at the next City Council meeting.
One of the issues raised at the regional district meeting was while it’s not devastating in communities like Greenwood for the power to go out for a while, however, it could be detrimental for rural residents who rely on consistent power for their homes, livestock and farming operations.
Residents who are not in immediate danger will lose their power with this kind of shutoff policy, putting their homes and operations at risk.
According to FortisBC, customers should always be prepared to be without electricity for at least 72 hours, especially during wildfire season.
FortisBC stated it will work together with local emergency officials to help communities prepare for a PSPS event, providing as much advance warning as possible and updates to keep people informed.
Greenwood City Council directed staff to contact the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary to get more information.
“We know all our customers have different needs, whether they are residents, running a business or both, and we recommend that they think through how they’re using electricity and create an emergency plan to ensure they can manage safely during a period without service,” Conway said. “For example, have a backup plan for medical needs, staying cool, food storage, transportation, business continuity and even staying in touch during an emergency.”
An open house will be held on May 15 in Keremeos at Victory Hall to help the public learn about FortisBC's wildfire safety practices and how they can prepare for outages that could affect their homes and businesses. A virtual open house will take place on May 22 as well.
