Outage Map
The Oregon Capital Chronicle recently reported a panel of University of Oregon professors—who study climate change, smoke, and wildfire—convened to discuss the 2024 wildfire season with interested journalists.
Generally, there was good news about this year’s wildfire season due to cooler temperatures and wetter conditions. In Central Oregon, nearly 4 inches of snow blanketing the Cascades in late April put an exclamation point on an above-average wet season.
Yet, Daniel Gavin—a professor who studies climate change impacts and fires on ecosystems over time—offered a sober reminder.
“It doesn’t take many weeks of dry weather to create fire hazards in more open vegetation on the east side (of the Cascades),” he said.
This is why, in an ongoing effort to keep its members and communities safe, Central Electric Cooperative (CEC) continues to conduct activities to reduce the chance its electric system contributes to a wildfire.
The heartbeat of CEC’s wildfire mitigation efforts, and the most cost-effective tool, is an ambitious vegetation management effort that decreases the likelihood of vegetation coming into contact with power lines.
The National Electrical Safety Code and Oregon Public Utility Commission set minimum clearance standards requiring the elimination of branches and trees within power line rights-of-way.
In April, CEC started a critical project in the Sisters area, which has a high risk of wildfires.
The Deschutes National Forest authorized CEC’s permit application to conduct tree trimming and hazardous tree removal along 31/2 miles of power line rights-of-way parallel to North Pine Street. The permit targeted approximately 140 trees for removal and identified trees with branches that could come into contact with power lines.
The project builds on last year’s efforts, where two similar projects occurred along Highway 126 west of Redmond and a 10-mile stretch west of Sisters.
CEC also works to systematically implement its wildfire mitigation plan, including conducting necessary safety inspections of its infrastructure and continuing member education about its wildfire safety efforts.
A PSPS is a tool of last resort and turns off the electricity in a wildfire area should the National Weather Service issue a series of red flag warnings. These warnings include a combination of critical factors, such as sustained high winds, low humidity, and high heat.
Should conditions warrant a shutoff, CEC informs affected members through phone calls, emails, texts, social media posts, and website alerts.
To learn more about what CEC is doing to protect its members and what you can do to stay safe, visit the CEC's Wildfire Preparedness page.
President and CEO Brad Wilson