BC Hydro crews prepare for Burns Bog wildfire restoration
VANCOUVER – BC Hydro has completed its assessment of the damage caused to electricity poles by the Burns Bog wildfire in Delta. Crews have been monitoring the 78-hectare blaze since Sunday and have found damage to 18 power poles.
Crews are waiting for clearance from the fire department to begin replacing the poles. More than a dozen individuals will be involved once the area is deemed safe by the fire department. In addition to replacing the poles, crews will need to rebuild a distribution line and transfer undamaged power lines to the new poles.
BC Hydro has been assessing the damage throughout the week and preventing further damage to equipment when possible. For example, on Tuesday crews were given access to the impacted area by the fire department and they were able to remove a bank of transformers from a damaged pole.
On Sunday, fire officials asked BC Hydro to "de-energize" a section of a 25-kilovolt distribution line for the safety of the crews fighting the fire. This initially caused a power outage to 97 customers, but crews were able to switch 91 customers to another circuit to prevent a lengthy power outage. There are currently six industrial accounts without power in the Tilbury area, including radio towers and a cranberry farm. No homes are impacted.
BC Hydro will continue to work with the local fire department and the Corporation of Delta to support restoration efforts and ensure the safety of the public.
Contact:
BC Hydro Media Relations
p. 604 928 6468