Power outage hit area north of Sisters

Some 300 Sisters-area households north of Sisters Eagle Airport experienced a power outage for approximately three hours on Wednesday, July 31.

According to Central Electric Cooperative (CEC), the outage was impacted by safety precautions in place during the height of fire season. The majority of CEC members in Sisters area north of the airport had their power restored at approximately 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“Due to CEC’s system being set to sensitive settings because of wildfire season, line crews had to visually inspect overhead lines before re-energizing the power lines,” CEC reported. “Once re-energized, crews were able to isolate the cause of the outage to two underground faults impacting approximately 16 members. Crews made repairs and their power was restored around 3 a.m. (Thursday).”

While Wednesday’s incident was power line faults, power companies across the West have instituted policies that could lead to shutdowns in the summer to prevent catastrophic wildfires. A public safety power shutoff (PSPS) is a safety measure designed to help protect communities in high fire-risk areas by proactively shutting off electricity during extreme and dangerous weather conditions that might cause the electricity system to spark wildfires. In all cases, the need to visually inspect power lines means that it may take longer to fully restore power safely when it goes out in the summer.

CEC recommends that local residents prepare an outage kit to be prepared if power goes down for an extended period.

• A flashlight, an oil or battery-powered lamp or lantern, and extra batteries.

• Candles and matches. Use candles on a flat, stable, non-flammable surface.

• A battery-powered radio.

• Easily accessible emergency phone numbers for your utility, doctor, fire, and police.

• A cell phone, or a telephone connected directly to the phone jack. Cordless phones and phones with answering machines rely on electricity to operate.

• A first-aid kit and prescription medications.

• A manual can opener and non-perishable food. A camp stove and fuel may be handy, but be sure to use it outdoors.

• A cooler for storing frequently used foods. Food will keep several hours in a closed, full refrigerator, and up to two days in a closed, full freezer.