Fire Danger Can Lead To Power Outages In Montana

Scorching temperatures, low humidity, and an uptick in the wind have caused extreme fire weather throughout the Treasure State.

This fire weather danger prompted Northwestern Energy to enter a 1.1 Monitoring Stage of the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Plan earlier this week.

The ultimate goal of this policy is to prevent electricity-caused wildfires in Montana.

Public Safety Power Shutoff

According to Northwestern Energy, there are no planned power outages at this point.

This was just the initial stage of monitoring the evolving weather situation.

If extreme weather conditions threaten the safe operation of the power grid, Northwestern Energy may decide to turn off power to certain areas.

Again, that is not planned at this time!

People who could be affected by the power outage will be notified by phone or email.

The PSPS strategy takes a phased approach and only implements shut-off where needed.

The goal is to prevent wildfires in prone areas, such as Butte, Helena, Great Falls, and Bozeman.

Once the power has been restored, any impacted customers will receive an automated call with an update on the situation.

Electrical Fire Prevention

Public safety power outages are described as a last resort to prevent a potential wildfire.

The goal is to prevent powerlines from sparking during the windstorm and lighting dry vegetation on fire.

NorthWestern Energy Power Outage Map

CLICK HERE to view power outages in Montana

Related Reading: Upgraded Meters Coming To Montana From NW Energy

Preparing For Power Outages On The Farm

Power outages always seem to happen when you’re busy on the farm and with this summer’s predicted blackouts, farmers need to start thinking about how they will adjust their operations to manage it.

Gallery Credit: Kailey Foster