Cooperation Helps Clearwater Power and Its Members Face Unprecedented Wildfire Challenges
By Sam Skinner
Heading into the Independence Day weekend, a dreaded call came in: There was a fire. The Billy Creek Fire was ignited on the Idaho side of the Snake River near the Idaho/Washington border, marking the start of a particularly challenging and heartbreaking monthlong battle with fire.
Wildfires in the Clearwater Power service territory are not uncommon during summer’s hot and dry conditions. Fire season is something utilities, government agencies and residents in our 3-state region work diligently to mitigate. Together with fire response agencies and county emergency management teams, fire mitigation efforts are put in place, and emergency response plans are mapped out. Utility and community members contribute to reducing fire threats by creating defensible spaces and managing vegetation responsibly.
Despite these concerted efforts, wildfires can still cause significant destruction. Clearwater Power and many of its members experienced the devastation firsthand.
On July 15, the Texas Ridge Fire and the Cougar Creek Fire stretched Clearwater Power crews to opposite ends of its service territory. The Texas Ridge Fire burned east above Kendrick, and the Cougar Creek Fire burned in the Boggan’s Oasis area on the Grande Ronde River stretching to the Oregon border and testing resources.
Clearwater Power lost its 4-pole canyon crossing—1 of the longest canyon crossings in our system—in the Texas Fire. Replacing this vital stretch of infrastructure required building a road to access and replace the poles. The Texas Fire burned more than 1,500 acres, destroying 4 homes.
Meanwhile, during the Cougar Creek Fire, Clearwater Power crews were undertaking significant efforts to protect infrastructure. They dug around approximately 60 poles to prevent them from catching fire and coordinated with fire incident command to de-energize lines as needed and then reenergize the lines when it was safe. The Cougar Creek Fire, at last reported, had burned more than 24,000 acres and is still burning.
On July 24, a fire was reported 15 miles northeast of Lewiston along Highway 3.
The Gwen Fire, which merged with the River Fire, wreaked havoc from just south of Juliaetta to the east of Lapwai to Myrtle, jumping the Clearwater River. The Gwen Fire burned nearly 29,000 acres, destroying 38 homes—33 of which were Clearwater Power members—and more than 120 outbuildings.
“I don’t believe we’ve ever had an instance in the history of Clearwater Power where we’ve sustained such significant damage to our system in such a short period,” General Foreman Jeff Braden says.
In the Gwen Fire, Clearwater Power sustained damage to 187 poles. With 93 fallen poles and others damaged by fire, there were miles of downed lines. Estimated costs for completed and needed repairs to the system have hit $1.9 million.
While the fire continued to burn, the rebuilding process was already starting. In such rural areas, electricity does more than power lights. It powers pumps for wells, providing water for fighting fires, and supplying drinking water and water for animals.
As a small cooperative with 20 lineworkers and less than 50 total employees, Clearwater Power relies on employees to step in and help outside of their job description when there are extenuating circumstances.
Jeff says he was impressed with the response.
“Our line crews were stretched thin, working long hours every day for weeks in a row,” he says. “They really were doing everything they could to get power to our members. And, we had engineers—in the field and in the office—working long hours to redesign systems. We had office staff taking notes in the field to expedite the processes and operators working long hours dispatching crews. We even had staff delivering meals and water to those in the field.”
“It’s something employees were not only able to do, but willing to do,” General Manager and CEO Telly Stanger says. “The collaboration and teamwork was impressive.”
As timing would have it, July 29 was Telly’s first day on the job. 1 of his first tasks was securing mutual aid. Crews from Kootenai Electric Cooperative and Columbia Rural Electric Association were called in to help Clearwater Power crews.
“This collaboration exemplified the core cooperative principle of ‘Cooperation Among Cooperatives,’ which was crucial for safely restoring power as quickly as we did,” Telly says. “We are grateful for the help we received from our neighboring cooperatives.”
While immediate critical repairs have been made, additional repairs to the infrastructure continue. The cooperative has received calls from members ready to rebuild, too.
“It was heart-wrenching to see the impact on members, and we’re committed to making the rebuilding process as smooth as possible,” says Allison Thomas, director of member services. “Members are encouraged to call us with any questions and to initiate the process. We’re dedicated to restoring power and returning it to the state it was before the fire.”