EWEB’s Board of Commissioners approved the utility’s first Wildfire Mitigation Plan during the July 5 Board meeting. The plan is designed to protect public safety, reduce risk to utility customers and promote electrical system resilience to wildfire damage.  

We already have numerous, well-established programs in place for grid reliability and safety that support wildfire risk mitigation. Our new Wildfire Mitigation Plan meets the legislative requirements for Oregon electric utilities to develop risk-based wildfire mitigation plans and adopts more rigorous standards and industry best practices. These include annual vegetation management and equipment inspections in areas of higher wildfire risk. EWEB has also established procedures that make the electric system more sensitive during fire weather events so that it quickly trips off-line to reduce risk of sparking.  

We take wildfire risk seriously and we put the safety of our customers and community first. 

Vegetation management

We proactively prune trees, branches and shrubs to make sure they don't come in contact with power lines during high wind, snow or ice events. Maintaining clearance between trees and power lines helps reduce this risk. Each year, crews trim around 300 'line miles' of vegetation to minimize the chance of falling trees and branches. We inspect and prune an additional 250 'line miles' in high-risk areas such as south Eugene and the McKenzie Valley.

System inspection and maintenance

We conduct routine and proactive maintenance on more than 725 miles of overhead power lines to ensure our system is safe and reliable. We visually patrol and inspect the system and components, and replace worn or aging equipment throughout the system. Like our additional vegetation maintenance, we inspect areas with a higher risk of wildfire more frequently.

Proactive grid-hardening investments

We actively seek opportunities to replace older equipment such as power poles, crossarms and wires. In some cases, we take certain overhead distribution lines and put them underground. We are also starting to install more  fire-resistant equipment, such as using ductile iron instead of wooden poles in a recently completed transmission line project in the upper McKenzie Valley.

Situational 'wildfire season' awareness

Situational awareness during fire season includes monitoring weather for high winds and low humidity, modifying field work practices to be more fire aware, bringing fire suppression equipment to every work site, and increased coordination with public safety partners when crews are working in areas with high fuel loads.

An example would be the installation of an ALERTWildfire camera on a communications tower to spot small fires before they threaten communities and infrastructure in the upper McKenzie River Valley. The camera, which is mounted on an EWEB communications tower that provides radio communication for EWEB’s Carmen-Smith hydroelectric project, provides a live feed viewable by anyone. ALERTWildfire is a project led by three universities, including the Oregon Hazards Lab at the University of Oregon, to provide cameras in wildlands that can help firefighters discover, monitor and contain wildfires.

Power line protective measures

When weather conditions indicate there is a high risk of wildfire, we change the protective settings on our equipment in south Eugene and the McKenzie Valley. These protective measures include modifying high-voltage electric switches and relays. Just like a circuit breaker in your home, the switch senses when trouble occurs—such as a tree branch falling on the line—and shuts off the power. We will not re-energize the line until we visually inspect it and confirm with public safety partners there is no fire in the area.

Red flag warnings

We activate this extra level of protection in areas at higher risk for wildfire when the National WeatherService issues a Red Flag Warning—typically related to high winds, high temperatures and low humidity. While enhanced protective settings help reduce wildfire risk, customers should anticipate that it will take longer to restore power when these more sensitive settings are in place.

Download our Wildfire Safety & Protection flyer.

Just as we manage vegetation to keep trees away from power lines, it's important for you to create a line of defense around your property by clearing dead trees and brush away from your property, particularly if you live in the south hills and other heavily forested areas of our community.

When selecting a new tree to plant, follow the "Right Tree, Right Place" approach. By picking the proper species and planting procedure, you can increase public safety, reduce power outages, reduce the need for routine pruning, and promote healthy, beautiful trees.

Everyone should have a plan for how you and your family will stay safe from wildfire. During wildfire season and year-round, we encourage customers to have an emergency plan and ensure your household is ready for a prolonged power or water disruption. Check out our emergency preparedness page for tips and resources.

Check out these resources for more information on what to do before, during, and after a wildfire:

Eugene Wildfire Preparedness Coalition

Oregon State University Extension Service Fire Program

https://www.ready.gov/wildfires