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Some of the most catastrophic fire events that have occurred in the western US in recent decades, such as the 2018 Camp Fire in California, were ignited by electric utility infrastructure. As wildfires and fire seasons intensify across the western United States, policymakers and utilities alike are working to mitigate the risk of wildfire as it relates to utility infrastructure. We pose the following research question: Is there an association between risk factors such as wildfire hazard potential and social vulnerability, and the inclusion of various strategies in mitigation planning by public or cooperative electric utilities in Washington, such as PSPS provisions and non-expulsion fuse installation? By applying statistical tools including t-tests and logistic regression modeling to test these potential associations, our analysis reveals statistically significant relationships between risk factors and the inclusion of specific wildfire mitigation strategies. We find that the inclusion of PSPS provisions in mitigation planning is significantly and nonlinearly associated with wildfire hazard potential, while social and socioeconomic vulnerability in the utility service area are negatively associated. Additionally, the installation of non-expulsion fuses is negatively associated with socioeconomic vulnerability in service populations. Overall, understanding the factors associated with wildfire mitigation planning can assist policymakers and state agencies in the prioritization of resources and practical support for utilities that may have limited capacity to mitigate wildfire risk.
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This content will become publicly available on March 4, 2026
Electric utility vulnerability to wildfires and post-fire debris flows in California
Abstract Wildfires and post-fire debris flows (PFDFs) threaten California infrastructure and are evolving with climate change. There is significant focus on the threat of utility-caused wildfires because electric power equipment has triggered wildfires leading to major damage. California’s ambitious climate targets rely on electrification of transport and industry. As the state modernizes its electricity system to support increased demand, it must consider future climate hazards. To date, there is no rigorous characterization of the intersection of future fire threat, PFDFs, and electrical infrastructure. We estimate wildfire and PFDF threat to transmission lines, substations, and power generators in California and assess vulnerability of electric utilities by intersecting electrical infrastructure and current and future wildfire and PFDF threat, using two global climate models and two representative concentration pathways. We find clean, dispatchable power generators (e.g. hydroelectric and nuclear) and small, publicly-owned utilities are most vulnerable. Increasing threats will require additional resources and consideration of future threat distribution.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1934933
- PAR ID:
- 10637816
- Publisher / Repository:
- IOP
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability
- Volume:
- 5
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2634-4505
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 015019
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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