Avista outlines wildfire-mitigation strategy for Washington service area

Representatives from Avista presented the utility's Wildfire Mitigation Plan to the Deer Park City Council, describing a multi-pronged effort to reduce wildfire risk and service disruption across its Washington service area.

The presenters said the plan focuses on four main areas. On grid hardening, Avista plans to replace or upgrade wooden transmission poles with steel poles in fire-prone zones and to install fire-retardant mesh wrap on wood poles in low-vegetation, high-risk areas. For vegetation management, the utility intends to remove or reduce fuels—brush, understory trees and limbs—near infrastructure. On situational awareness, Avista described deploying AI-powered fire-detection cameras and local weather stations and using a Fire Weather Dashboard to monitor risk and trigger preventive action. Operational readiness measures include expanding Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) during high-risk conditions to reduce ignition potential from energized lines.

"The plan focuses on four primary areas: grid hardening, vegetation management, situational awareness, and operational readiness," the representatives told the council. The presentation did not include a detailed project schedule or site-by-site cost estimates; those items were not specified in the record.