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Wildfire prevention and safety work

Wildfire in the Cache Creek 2017

We work year-round to help prevent and minimize wildfires to protect communities and ensure the resilience of our power system. Vegetation management, equipment monitoring and protection, and coordination with other agencies are essential to our work.  

Learn more about each of these initiatives below, and what you can do, too.  

If your home is impacted by an evacuation order, learn more about preparing for and returning from evacuations, and bill help for evacuees. 

Our year-round wildfire prevention strategies 

Vegetation management 

Managing vegetation is one of the most important things we do to reduce wildfire risk. As of 2024, our vegetation management budget is about $150 million per year across our distribution and transmission systems, which has tripled since 2015.

We regularly inspect and prune trees and other vegetation around our power lines to maintain safe clearances, minimize fuel loading, and prevent contact that could cause an outage or ignite a fire. Fuel loading refers to the total amount of combustible material (grass, shrubs, timber) in a given area. We also inspect and remove trees in poor health or most likely to fail. However, in major storms even healthy trees can fail and so not all tree related impacts can be avoided. 

Learn more about our vegetation management. 

Adjusting equipment settings

We continuously monitor weather, temperature, humidity, wind, and ground conditions to assess wildfire risk across our service area. When there’s elevated fire risk in an area – a combination of its fire danger rating, extremely dry conditions, heat, and surrounding fires – we can operate our lines in something called “no reclose mode.” In this mode, when lines are affected by a fault, such as when a tree hits a line, they won’t automatically re-energize. This helps reduce the chance of sparks or equipment-related ignitions. 

Protecting our poles and equipment

We work year-round and protect our infrastructure from wildfires. In some locations, for example, we can apply fire retardant to wood poles to prevent burning. 

We’re also exploring other technologies, including steel mesh pole wraps with a heat-activated coating. These shield poles from radiant heat and flames while allowing for water evaporation, minimizing the potential for pole decay. In 2024, for example, we installed pole wraps on 1,000 structures along the transmission line between Fort Nelson and the Alberta border. We’ve also installed this along the West Kelowna transmission line. When we replace damaged or aging wood poles on transmission lines, we also use fibre-reinforced polymer poles, which aren't combustible.   

Further, we regularly inspect our equipment to ensure it’s operating safely, that it doesn’t pose any risks, and to prioritize our repairs. Our crews undergo continuous training and maintain a robust inventory of critical materials, which allows for rapid response if it's damaged.  

Coordinating with other organizations

Wildfire safety is a shared responsibility. We work closely with BC Wildfire Services, local fire departments, the Ministry of Forests, and emergency management organizations to align our efforts and share critical information. During wildfire season, we stay in constant communication to coordinate response plans and support firefighting efforts where needed. 

Additional preventative work in higher risk situations

Sparks can present a fire risk when an object, such as a tree or wind-blown debris, contacts a power line or when there’s an equipment failure. That’s why we perform regular line inspections and implement mitigation strategies, which include insulated power lines in some areas, installing bird nesting deterrents, and replacing damaged infrastructure.  

When directed by BC Wildfire Services or the local fire department, we would de-energize (turn off) or isolate portions of the power system. This approach helps ensure their safety and reduce further fire risk while balancing the need to provide power for critical infrastructure such as water delivery systems.

Ways you can help

We all have a role in preventing wildfires. While we’re working hard to make our system as safe and resilient as possible, your actions also make a big difference – especially if you live, work, or spend time in areas at higher risk.

Here are some important ways you can help:

  • Keep trees away from your service lines: Trim back trees on your property and avoid planting new ones near power lines.
  • Report emergencies: If you see a fallen power line, equipment fire, or other emergency, stay 10 metres away and call 911.
  • Stay alert during wildfire season: Refer to the B.C. Government for local fire danger ratings and know how to report wildfires.
  • Make sure your contact information is up to date in MyHydro: This makes it more efficient for us to reach you if we have safety-related updates about your home’s electricity service. 
  • Have an emergency plan: Talk with your household about evacuation routes and emergency contacts. Prepare an emergency kit to be ready for an evacuation or extended power outage. B.C. Government guides and resources.

Together, we can reduce wildfire risk and protect our communities. Thank you for doing your part.