United Power outlines wildfire mitigation plan for Gilpin County; company to prioritize high-risk feeders

United Power told the Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners on March 11 that it will prioritize system hardening and vegetation management across the mountain service area to reduce wildfire risk.

Travis Rodlin, Mountain Area Manager for United Power, said the cooperative's 2025 mitigation plan — scheduled to be posted publicly when it goes before the United Power board at the end of March — focuses on protecting infrastructure across Coal Creek Canyon, Gilpin, Jefferson and Boulder counties. He said United Power is responsible for five substations, about 55 miles of sub-transmission line, 405 miles of distribution line and roughly 8,940 service structures in the mountain area.

Rodlin said the plan uses a mix of infrastructure improvements, targeted undergrounding where feasible, and aggressive vegetation management. “We identify vegetation encroachment on any of the infrastructure,” Rodlin said, adding that United Power asks for 10 feet of clearance around overhead primary lines and 10 feet around transformers. He said the utility periodically creates firebreaks near critical infrastructure such as substations and trims or removes hazard trees that are dead, diseased or otherwise threaten lines.

The utility described technology it uses for prioritization: a vendor-supplied “AI-dash” satellite and imagery overlay that ranks line segments by a 0–100 criticality score and wildfire risk, plus drone and LiDAR inspections to confirm conditions on the ground. Rodlin showed a map identifying Ralston Creek Feeder 3 as a current high-priority area and said crews are working now in accessible subdivisions off Highway 46 and plan to begin work in Missouri Lakes in about three weeks, weather permitting. He said crews will move into more forested, less accessible areas after the spring thaw.

Rodlin acknowledged limits on undergrounding in steep, rocky terrain and said decisions balance technical feasibility and cost. He urged residents to contact United Power with concerns about vegetation near primary and secondary service lines and said United Power maintains a list of authorized tree-service contractors and solicits local bids for contracts annually.

County commissioners and staff raised questions about contractor selection and local participation; Rodlin said current contractors include Iron Mountain Forestry and Good People Tree Service, both based in the canyon. County officials noted county mitigation work already underway — including road right-of-way work by Timberline crews and other local fuel-reduction efforts — and commissioners described the effort as collaborative.

Rodlin concluded by reiterating that wildfire risk cannot be eliminated but can be reduced through a combination of hardening, vegetation removal and community partnerships. He left contact information and said a public version of the mitigation plan will be posted when the utility finalizes its board packet.