Extreme weather calls for added safety measures
PrintClick here: Wildfire Prevention Flyer
When conditions in our service territory indicated an increased risk for wildfires, SDCEA takes extra precautions to keep our communities safe. Due to these extreme conditions our operations department switches our system to more sensitive line settings.
This protective measure is designed to reduce fire risks caused by disruptions like tree branches or other debris coming into temporarily coming contact with power lines. Normally, small incidents would cause a momentary flicker of lights or brief outages as the system automatically corrects itself. But in this more sensitive mode, even minor disruptions will temporarily de-energize a line until our crews can safely inspect it in person.
To ensure safe power restoration during this time, crews must thoroughly inspect the affected lines for damage or vegetation intrusion before re-energizing the system. This process often involves hiking through challenging terrain with dense vegetation or using handheld spotlights during nighttime inspections. While these efforts may lead to more outages, and at- times, longer restoration times as inspections are made, it significantly reduces wildfire risks in our communities.
We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we work to keep everyone safe during this time.
