Preparing for Wildfire Season

At Northern Lights, we take our wildfire mitigation responsibility seriously. Our members depend on us not only for reliable power, but for leadership in safeguarding the communities we call home.

In the event of extreme fire weather conditions, as a last resort, we also have a plan in place to implement public safety power shutoffs. While these will only be used if absolutely necessary, we’re prepared to shut off power in high-risk areas if needed to fulfill our responsibility to protect the communities we serve and the cooperative’s infrastructure.

Being informed and prepared puts you back in control—even in a worst-case scenario.

What to expect:

• Red Flag Warning: When weather conditions indicate risk is high for wildfire ignition and rapid spread, the National Weather Service will issue Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches. These conditions include warm temperatures, very low humidity, strong winds, drought and dry vegetation. Northern Lights may activate our wildfire-prevention procedure, which reduces fire risks but can result in more frequent and longer power interruptions.
• Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS): Northern Lights collaborates with wildfire experts and emergency responders to determine when power shutdowns are needed for public safety. While shutting off power reduces the risk of sparks from tree branches hitting power lines, it is our last resort.
• Communication: We do our best to notify our members of the possibility of a PSPS. We understand that losing power can create hardships and make receiving notifications more difficult. We will send updates about outages and power restoration via text messages and/or phone calls, along with posts to our website and social media channels.

During wildfire season, we all play a role in keeping our community safe. Make sure Northern Lights has your current contact information for safety alerts. Call 208-263-5141, use your SmartHub app or visit www.nli.coop to update your contact information and ensure we have a current mobile number on file for you. For more wildfire safety tips, visit ready.gov/wildfires.

 Create your emergency plan today: 

• Update and keep your contact information current with Northern Lights.
• Build or restock your emergency kit with flashlights, fresh batteries, first aid supplies and cash
• Identify the unique needs of your family and loved ones in the area for your emergency plan
• Designate a family emergency meeting location
• Create defensible space around your home
• Plan for any medical needs like medications that need to be refrigerated or devices that require power
• Plan for the needs of pets and livestock
• Ensure any backup generators are ready to safely operate
• Create a ‘go bag’ in the event of an evacuation
• Identify backup charging methods for phones and keep hard copies of emergency numbers
• Know how to manually open your garage door
• Know the sources for emergency information in your community