As we enter fire season, Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative, Inc. has updated our system protection settings to prioritize public safety and wildfire prevention. These enhanced protection settings make our electrical safety equipment more sensitive, so it will shut off power more quickly when it detects potential hazards, which may result in different outage patterns as we prioritize safety.
Why this change is necessary: During fire season, CCEC adjusts our safety equipment to be more cautious and responsive to potential hazards. For example, if a tree branch falls onto a power line, our updated settings will turn off the power to that line rather than trying to automatically restore it multiple times, which could create sparks and start a fire. While this proactive approach may cause power interruptions, it significantly reduces the risk of wildfire ignition and helps protect our community and natural resources.
Areas most likely to experience disruptions: Outages from these updated settings will be concentrated in areas identified in our Wildfire Mitigation Plan as having elevated fire risk within our service territory.
When outages occur, our crews will respond according to established safety protocols:
- Crews will be dispatched to inspect the affected power lines
- Thorough safety checks to identify and clear any vegetation contact or equipment problems
- Power is safely restored only after confirming all hazards have been addressed
- Continued monitoring throughout high-risk periods
How to report outages:
- Please call our 24/7 outage line: 866-352-9044
We understand that power interruptions can be inconvenient, and we appreciate your patience during fire season. These protective measures are essential for preventing wildfires and ensuring the long-term safety and reliability of our electrical system. CCEC's implementation of these enhanced settings is based on multiple factors including weather conditions, fire danger levels, and our understanding of system risks.
For more information about our wildfire mitigation efforts, visit ccec.coop/wildfire-mitigation.