Protecting Our Community
Wildfire prevention is a year-round priority at Clatskanie People’s Utility District (PUD). While our service area is considered to have a relatively low wildfire risk, even one fire can have devastating impacts. That’s why we’re continually investing in our electric system, maintaining vegetation, monitoring weather conditions, and working with local emergency responders to help keep our communities safe.
Reducing Wildfire Risk
The most effective way to prevent utility-related wildfires is through proactive maintenance.
Clatskanie PUD:
- Trims all service territory vegetation on a three-year rotation
- Removes hazardous trees near power lines
- Maintains defensible space around substations
- Inspects transmission and distribution lines year-round
- Uses drones, GIS technology, and real-time data to identify potential hazards before they become problems
Building a More Resilient Electric System
We’re continuously improving our system to better withstand severe weather and reduce wildfire risk by:
- Replacing aging equipment
- Installing covered power lines and stronger utility poles where appropriate
- Undergrounding lines in locations with repeated tree-related outages
- Using advanced monitoring systems to quickly identify and isolate faults
- Installing local weather stations to monitor wind, humidity, and fuel moisture in real time
During High Fire Danger
When wildfire conditions increase, we take additional precautions, including:
- Monitoring Red Flag Warnings and local weather 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Increasing line patrols and inspections
- Adjusting protective equipment to reduce ignition potential
- Coordinating closely with local fire agencies and emergency management
Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS)
In extreme wildfire conditions, Clatskanie PUD may temporarily shut off power to help prevent wildfire ignition. A PSPS is always considered a last resort after carefully evaluating weather conditions, fire behavior, public safety, and the impacts to our community.
Before restoring power, crews inspect affected power lines to ensure they can be safely re-energized.
How You Can Help
You play an important role in wildfire prevention:
- Keep trees and vegetation away from service lines.
- Report damaged equipment or trees contacting power lines.
- Never approach a downed power line—always assume it is energized.
- Have an emergency plan and outage kit ready before fire season.
Together, we can help reduce wildfire risk and keep our communities safe.