Monroe Canyon Fire burns 12 power lines, power out since Wednesday for over 3000 customers

Yahoo

4 days ago

RICHFIELD, Utah () — The Monroe Canyon Fire, which is Utah's largest wildfire of the season, is impacting power lines in Southern Utah. Power has been out in the area since 3 p.m. Wednesday.
According to the , 12 poles have been burned, with the possibility of more depending on which direction the fire goes. . The fire is still actively burning near the transmission lines, restricting access to repair the poles that have been burnt.
Crews said power will be impacted all through Thursday, but Garkane Energy later said that they are planning to re-energize power lines between 6 and 7 p.m.
The transmission line has been patched back together, and when they re-energize, it will bring the northern system back online. They said that the plan is to keep power flowing through the temporary repair while they set up generators.
Once the generators are in place, they will switch to generator power so crews can de-energize the line and make permanent repairs in the coming weeks.
However, around 7:30 p.m., Garkane Energy posted on social media that the fire made a run and caught two more poles on fire. Fire engines are working to put the flames out, and crews reportedly are still optimistic that they will be able to restore power.
Dan McClendon, CEO, Garkane Energy said they were asked to de-energize lines for safety purposes. 'We are now gathering replacement materials, poles and transmission wires probably may have made it through this ordeal… We will get in there when it is cool enough to do so.'
'The repairs could take us at least a week or two weeks to repair the transmission line. Our main focus today is to try and get some portable generation in there to take care of the people until the repair can be completed,' McClendon added.
McClendon said there is no word yet on when crews can get in to repair the lines and restore power in the area.
Monroe Canyon Fire grows over 11,000 acres in 24 hours, crosses 48,000 acres due to active winds
Officials add that they are transporting large scale generators to the area to pick up the load from Wayne County and surrounding areas in an effort to restore power as quickly as possible to all our affected members.
According to an , over 3,000 customers are affected due to the power outages.
Garkane Energy says they will provide updates as soon as they have the generators in place and when they can have the power restored.
'We do not have an actual account of the cost of damage, but estimate it to be several millions of dollars,' McClendon told ABC4.com.
The company serves about 16,000 Sq Miles in very remote areas that include four National Parks and three National Forests of which 80% land is owned by the federal govt. 'For this reason, we have lines going into all service communities and when we loose a line, there is no additional means to serve them,' McClendon added.
Who is impacted?
Garkane Energy that it de-energized the line that serves Wayne County, Burrville, Koosharem, Antimony, Fish Lake, and other surrounding areas.
How to plan for an extended power outage
With a power outage likely, it is important to . Rocky Mountain Power said one of the first things to do would be to assemble or restock an emergency kit.
Items that should go into your emergency kit include:
Non-perishable food for both family and pets
Water, at least one gallon per person per day
Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
A flashlight with extra batteries
Blankets
A manual can-opener
A solar-powered cell phone charger
Cash
Copies of important documents
A First-Aid kit with essential medications
Any special items for infants, elderly or disabled family members
also recommends including things such as a dust mask, a whistle, and local maps. If you have room, Ready.gov also recommends adding soap and hand sanitizer, matches, personal hygiene products, and any activities such as books, games, puzzles or other activities.
Residents can follow as well as for more information and updates.
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