Avista takes precautionary measures for dry weather conditions - Temporary changes could impact outage times in some situations
SPOKANE, Wash. – July 29, 2020: In response to dry summer conditions and high wildfire danger in the region, Avista is undertaking temporary changes to power line operations in its Washington and Idaho service area.
These temporary changes are being made to decrease the potential for wildfires that could occur when re-energizing a power line. In most cases, lines located in rural and/or forested areas are normally re-energized automatically. However, during the current dry weather conditions, Avista’s line personnel will physically patrol an outage area before a line is placed back into service. This can require more time to restore service but decreases the potential fire danger. We call this operational approach dry-land mode. Avista initiates dry-land mode when fire potential increases based on information from the Wildland Fire Assessment System (WFAS).
This practice is in line with Avista’s recently released Wildfire Resiliency Plan. Building on prevention and response strategies that have been in place many years, Avista has committed to a new comprehensive 10-year Wildfire Resiliency Plan that includes improved defense strategies and operating practices for a more resilient system. Learn more at myavista.com/wildfire.
Avista will return the distribution system to normal as soon as weather permits and fire potential decreases. Avista appreciates the patience and understanding of its customers during this time.
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