PHOENIX — APS manages 38,000 power lines across Arizona and every single one of them could at any time be at the mercy of a wildfire. That's why APS is adding to its defense!
Wildfires rage in Arizona during the hottest months of the year. Losing power and air conditioning would be dangerous during our extremely hot summer.
To prevent this, APS crews clear out brush before wildfire season to create defensible space around power poles.
Also new this year, APS is now using exclusive computer modeling to predict where active wildfires will advance to protect what will be in their path. This fire science modeling uses temperature, wind and humidity data as well as vegetation moisture levels to forecast future fire growth.
APS meteorologists may also adjust and enhance the model's parameters by adding additional data from the field using mobile weather stations. The model's high resolution can even capture how fast the wind is moving in tricky areas such as in valleys and over ridges.
With this new system, APS hopes to have the tools they need to successfully defend power poles from encroaching wildfires and keep the power running for residents.
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