Rocky Mountain Power ends Public Safety Power Shutoff watch for Provo Canyon area

Rocky Mountain Power has ended a Public Safety Power Shutoff watch for the Provo Canyon area, after closely monitoring weather conditions in wildfire high-risk areas in this weekend. With arrival of a winter storm front Saturday, wind conditions eased in the Provo Canyon area this evening, prompting the end to the watch.

“We’re grateful that weather conditions did not require a power shutoff,” said Curt Mansfield, vice president, Rocky Mountain Power. “We especially thank our customers in these areas for their understanding and patience during the uncertainty of the past two days.”

Weather conditions that were forecasted for Friday and Saturday — low humidity, dry vegetation, winds and elevated counts on key weather indexes — had the potential to meet the criteria for a Public Safety Power Shutoff in the Provo Canyon and Cedar City areas.

As a public safety precaution to prevent wildfire, electricity could be turned off in wildfire high-risk areas during extreme weather events. The measure is only used as a last resort to help ensure community safety and is designed to impact as few customers as possible in pre-identified areas through a highly-targeted, circuit-by-circuit manner.

Public Safety Power Shutoff events are part of Rocky Mountain Power’s comprehensive wildfire prevention plan, which includes additional safety inspections, upgrades to the grid system, and weather stations to monitor for hazardous conditions.

Rocky Mountain Power first introduced Public Safety Power Shutoffs in 2019 to customers in communities where the new wildfire mitigation measure could potentially be implemented.

Turning off power during a Public Safety Power Shutoff is done to prevent sparks resulting from wind-blown or falling debris damaging power lines. After extreme weather conditions have subsided, Rocky Mountain Power will complete line inspections and re-energize the lines in the event of a power shutoff.

Customers will receive follow-up notifications in advance should a shut-off event be initiated. For all non-emergency questions about the Public Safety Power Shutoff watch, customers and the public should call Rocky Mountain Power at 1-888-221-7070. Customers should also update their contact information to allow the company to provide emergency updates.

Visit rockymountainpower.net/wildfiresafety for additional information on Public Safety Power Shutoffs and wildfire mitigation practices.