May is National Wildfire Awareness Month. Extreme weather and rapidly changing climate conditions are contributing to year-round, larger, more intense and faster-moving wildfires, even in areas that haven’t traditionally been wildfire prone.

As part of our commitment to resilience and safety, we’ve developed a comprehensive strategy to reduce wildfire risk across the areas we serve. All year long, we are making strategic investments and improvements that support the power grid and build resilience to prevent wildfires.

Our wildfire prevention efforts

We regularly inspect and maintain our electric infrastructure to prevent equipment-caused fires, leveraging drones and helicopters equipped with advanced sensors where appropriate.

When required, we repair, replace and upgrade equipment to ensure it operates reliably and safely. We also underground targeted power lines and rebuild transmission lines using fire-resistant materials in high-risk areas.

We’re integrating advanced technologies – like AI-enabled panoramic cameras, sophisticated risk modeling and company-owned weather stations – to enhance our ability to understand conditions on the ground, in real time.

We’re accelerating vegetation management – trimming and clearing trees, shrubs, dense grasses and other vegetation near power lines and around equipment – in high-wildfire risk areas to help reduce outages and eliminate potential fuel sources for wildfires.

We’re also leveraging powerful preventative measures, like Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) and Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) to prioritize public safety when weather and environmental conditions such as wind speed, relative humidity, and fuel moisture indicate a high risk for wildfires. 

One of the most important roles Xcel Energy plays in keeping communities safe is through effective and timely communication. To help our customers navigate evolving wildfire risk, we’ve developed a Wildfire Preparedness webpage to serve as centralized resource for information about our wildfire mitigation efforts, Public Safety Power Shutoffs and safety and preparedness tips. We’re also increasing our outreach directly to customers and enhancing how we communicate with our customers before, during and after Public Safety Power Shutoffs.

Prepare before wildfires

Managing wildfire risk is a shared responsibility, and it’s more important than ever that we all take proactive steps to be prepared. We encourage you to take the following steps to prepare before a wildfire:

  • Stay informed: Make sure your contact information is updated in MyAccount and stay updated on planned and unplanned outages and restoration times.
  • Prepare an emergency kit: include essentials like water, food, medications and important documents.
  • Develop an evacuation plan: plan multiple evacuation routes and ensure all family members know the plan.
  • Create defensible space and maintain your property: clear vegetation and debris around your home, and regularly clean gutters, roofs, and outdoor spaces to reduce fire risk.

"As climate conditions continue to evolve and impact weather and environmental conditions, the challenge of wildfire prevention becomes more complex. It's crucial that we improve our situational awareness to understand and stay ahead of these threats,” said Paul McGregor, vice president, Wildfire Risk Management. “Through strategic investments in our infrastructure, along with enhancing community cooperation, we can build a safer, more resilient future for everyone."