FLAGSTAFF, AZ (AZFamily) — Arizona Public Service has introduced new fire prevention technology this year, some of which you can find directly on their powerlines.
APS serves 1.4 million households and businesses with 38,000 miles of power lines.
With so much territory to cover, safety is a top priority.
So, the goal of this technology is to track weather conditions that could fuel a fire before or after it sparks.
Starting this year, APS began installing weather stations and cameras on some of its power poles.
They now have 55 weather stations and about 35 cameras across the state and they’ll soon begin installing more.
All this information gets fed back into their system which provides real time fire conditions before or after a spark.
It also helps APS decide if they need a Public Safety Power Shutoff.
The goal of a PSPS is to prevent powerlines or the electric system from starting a wildfire through a spark or a downed wire during extreme fire conditions. This includes high winds that could blow a tree into a powerline.
APS said this will mostly impact rural parts of the High Country, not major towns like Flagstaff or Prescott.
They use precautionary and fire tracking technology to make sure as few people are impacted as possible.
Thankfully, no PSPS has been called so far this year, but all of these precautions are to keep communities safe.
APS also suggests updating your contact information on their website to keep you up to date when there is a power outage or PSPS in your area. You can find that information here.
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