Governor Kate Brown Provides Wildfire Update, Urges Oregonians to be Prepared
By Garrett Christensen on Monday, September 12th, 2022 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
EASTERN OREGON – (Release from the Oregon Governor’s Office) Governor Kate Brown provided an update September 8th on how the state and partners are preparing and responding to the wildfire situation in Oregon. She was joined by Oregon Department of Forestry Fire Chief Mike Shaw, Oregon State Chief Deputy Fire Marshal Travis Medema, Oregon Office of Emergency Management Director Andrew Phelps, Chief Executive Officer of Portland General Electric Maria Pope, and Vice President of Transmission and Distribution from PacifiCorp Allen Berreth.
“The forecasted wind patterns, hot dry weather, and potential for lightning are making a challenging environment for increased fire in the coming days,” said Governor Brown. “There is also the possibility of public safety power shutoffs to mitigate potential fire risks.
“As with every fire season, we are prepared to do whatever it takes to protect you, your homes, and the places we all cherish and love. That said, there are actions each of us can take to assist our firefighters in their response efforts. Being prepared is paramount — I encourage all Oregonians to make an emergency plan with your families today. And, please, check on friends and family who may be vulnerable or medically fragile to ensure their needs are addressed.”
About Public Safety Power Shutoffs
Public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) are planned power outages that utilities use to prevent the ignition of power lines and wildfires when extreme weather conditions exist. As planned power outages, utility companies provide customers with advanced notification of a PSPS.
Oregonians are encouraged to register with their electric utility service provider and confirm the utility has their most up-to-date contact information to receive updates directly from the utility regarding potential public safety power shutoffs. Please also note that, even if power is not intentionally shutoff as part of this wildfire prevention measure, it is expected that there will be an increased number of power outages over the next several days due to the weather.
In the case of both the planned and unplanned outages, power will not be restored until the weather event is over and crews can safely inspect utility lines for damage to ensure there is no fire risk. Below are some helpful links to assist you in registering with your utility and accessing information for your local area.
- Consumers Power Inc: https://www.cpi.coop/news/extreme-weather-event
- Pacific Power: https://www.pacificpower.net/outages-safety/wildfire-safety/public-safety-power-shutoff.html
- PGE: https://portlandgeneral.com/active-psps-info
Additional Materials
- A copy of the Governor’s prepared remarks from today’s press conference is available here.
- More information is available at wildfire.oregon.gov.
- Oregonians can sign up for local emergency alerts at ORAlert.gov.
- Learn how to Get Two Weeks Ready.
Video Links
- A recording of today’s live-streamed press conference — with an American Sign Language simulcast — is available on YouTube.
- Please note the video starts at the 7:00 mark.
- An HD recording of today’s event for members of the media is available on Vimeo.
