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APS official details vegetation clearing, sensor network and PSPS planning for Yavapai County
Summary
Frank Sanders, APS Northern Division Director, told the Yavapai County Board on April 1 that APS has expanded fire-mitigation work — including vegetation clearing, pole wrapping and data-driven PSPS planning that now covers “over a 100” circuits — and described customer communications and preparedness steps.
Frank Sanders, Northern Division Director for APS, briefed the Yavapai County Board on April 1 on the utility’s expanding wildfire-mitigation program, describing vegetation clearing, pole protections, new monitoring tools and plans for public-safety power shutoffs (PSPS).
“When you flip the switch, we want the lights to be on,” Sanders said, framing reliability as a core mission but adding that customer and community safety takes priority as wildfire risk grows. He identified vegetation management of rights-of-way, defensible space around poles and equipment upgrades as primary prevention steps.
Sanders said APS clears about a 10-foot radius around poles fitted with equipment that can spark, a practice called DSAP, and has instituted mesh wrapping on wood poles where crews cannot reach with bucket trucks to dissipate heat. He also said APS has replaced traditional fusing in many fire-mitigation areas with expulsion‑limiting fuses to reduce sparking.
The utility began pre‑fire-season inspections on Jan. 1, Sanders said, and crews patrol…
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