Dear Residents of Pend Oreille County,
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for parts of Pend Oreille County this Wednesday, July 8. Because of the increased wildfire risk, customers who live in the central and southern areas of the county should prepare for the possibility of longer power outages if an outage occurs.
If an outage does happen, restoration may take longer than normal because crews must inspect power lines and equipment before restoring service to make sure it is safe.
To help reduce wildfire risk, Pend Oreille PUD will activate Elevated Fire-Safe Mode beginning tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. This will affect areas from Blueslide south through the Pend Oreille River Valley and the southern portion of the county.
This is not a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). Pend Oreille PUD is not proactively turning off power. Customers will only lose power if an issue occurs on the electrical system, such as trees, wind, wildlife, equipment problems, or other causes.
What Elevated Fire-Safe Mode means:
- The electric system will operate at its highest sensitivity setting and will be configured to shut off power immediately only if a problem occurs.
- No automatic restoration will take place; crews must first patrol the line and confirm conditions are safe before restoring service.
- This may result in longer outages, but it is a precaution designed to reduce wildfire risk and protect the community.
What Customers Can Do:
- Have a backup plan if you rely on electricity for medical devices, well pumps, or other critical needs.
- Use generators safely with a properly installed transfer switch to prevent backfeed onto power lines, which can endanger PUD crews and the public.
- Make sure we have your current contact information.
Stay informed at www.popud.org or follow us on Facebook for real-time updates.
If you experience an outage, please report it by calling our automated system at 844-971-1058 or our main office at 509-447-3137. Restoration times may not be available until after the Red Flag Warning has passed and crews have completed damage assessments.
Thank you for your understanding as we take these steps to help protect our community during periods of high fire danger.
Sincerely,
Pend Oreille PUD
