SPOKANE, Wash. – Inland Power and Light announced on Friday night that the company’s system will be operating in “Fire Safety Mode” following the Red Flag Warning issued by the National Weather Service for Saturday, August 22, through Sunday, August 23.
High winds, with speeds forecasted around 30 mph, are expected to create elevated wildfire danger.
According to the company, Fire Safety Mode aims to prioritize security and public safety, however, this creates a higher likelihood of service interruptions.
“Under normal circumstances, when an external object, like a tree branch, contacts our power lines, our devices detect the short circuit, briefly interrupt power, and then try to automatically restore it. If the obstruction is cleared, power is reestablished quickly, resulting in only a minor service interruption,” a spokesperson for Inland Power and Light stated. “However, in Fire Safety Mode, this automatic restoration functionality is turned off (non-reclose) in areas identified as having a higher wildfire risk. Consequently, service disruptions that would typically be momentary will instead be prolonged, necessitating a crew to manually inspect and restore power.”…