By Charlotte Lane – Chair Public Service Commission
It is hard for me to fathom the tragedy that has occurred on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Fire swept through Lahaina, the old capital of Hawaii, in August, killing countless people. The blame for this fire has not been determined. But its outbreak caused me to look back on some research into the reason for wildfires in the United States.
The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, is a clearinghouse and information center for wildlife fire statistics and reports. I suppose it is not surprising that the center found that during a recent 10-year period, humans were responsible for 87 percent of wildfires nationally. And the center said arson might account for more than a fifth of all those fires.
But two industries that fall under the Public Service Commission’s regulation also contribute to wildfires. One involves power-generation wildfires, most commonly caused by something coming into contact with electrical power lines. High winds, contact with vegetation, equipment failure, or human and animal contact with lines all are potential contributors. This is why the Commission is extremely interested in plans by power companies to maintain their lines and keep their rights-of-way clear of vegetation.
And we want you to be alert too. For your safety, we urge you to stay away from power lines, meters, transformers, and electric boxes. Leave maintenance of these things to the professionals. If you see vegetation close to a line, or a line dangerously down and close to something else, call the power company. Don’t attempt to tackle the problem yourself.
The second situation is wildfires caused by railroad operations and maintenance. Track maintenance work, such as track replacement, and operations, such as derailments or mechanical failures, are both associated with this type of problem. It is good to know that while railroads historically were a significant problem; that has now changed. Aggressive prevention has reduced modern occurrences in many areas. Again, call the railroad or 911 if you see a problem along any tracks you pass by.
We’re not going to stomp out this problem anytime soon. As long as humans exist, we will have to co-exist with the dangers of wildfires. But being alert and letting the right people know when you see problems, can significantly cut down on the dangers of wildfires in our Mountain State.
