Lane Electric Cooperative > Manager's Message > Manager’s Message — June 2021

Manager’s Message — June 2021

June 1, 2021

Is Your Home Prepared?

Dear Co-op Community Members:

Debi Wilson

Last year, Oregon communities suffered devastating losses due to wildfires. Forecasters are predicting another dry summer and drought conditions throughout our state.

At Lane Electric, we have been reviewing our safety and wildfire protocols and want to encourage our members to also take steps to reduce their home’s wildfire risk. These fires will continue to happen, and we want our members to know there are things our communities can do to better protect our homes and neighborhoods. Is your home prepared for wildfires?

The National Fire Protection Association recommends choosing fire-resistant building materials and limiting flammable vegetation in the three home ignition zones. The three zones are immediate (0 to 5 feet around the house), intermediate (5 to 30 feet), and extended (30 to 100 feet). Their recommendation includes a list of things you can do around your home to make it safer from embers and radiant heat. The list includes:

  • Clean roof and gutters of dead leaves, debris, and pine needles.
  • Replace or repair loose or missing shingles or roof tiles.
  • Install 1/8-inch metal mesh screening on vents in the eaves.
  • Clean debris from exterior attic vents.
  • Repair or replace damaged or loose window screens and broken windows.
  • Move any flammable material away from wall exteriors: mulch, flammable plants, leaves and needles, firewood piles anything that can burn.
  • Remove anything stored underneath decks or porches.

Many more resources are available to help you prepare. We encourage you to visit the National Fire Protection Association website or their Firewise USA Resources page to learn what you can do in all three zones to help mitigate your risk.

At Lane Electric, we will continue our tree-trimming programs and safety inspections to help mitigate risks. As weather conditions warrant, we will make changes to our system to help reduce risks, yet those changes could result in increased outages.

The extra time it takes to patrol the lines will increase the length of some outages. We know outages are frustrating, but we feel it is important for us to help keep our communities safe and green.

We hope you will join us in preparing and mitigating risks to our beautiful communities.

Sincerely,
Debi Wilson