Public Safety Power Shutoff


A public safety power shutoff (PSPS) is a proactive power outage designed to prevent new fire starts during very high winds and dry conditions. It is a tool in Chelan PUD's Wildfire Mitigation Program. We know the devastation that wildfires can have on a community, and we also recognize the impact on our customers when power is out. The decision to use a public safety power shutoff is one we take very seriously and is a rarely used measure of last resort.


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Customer input helps shape future PSPS alerts

Aug 4, 2026, 11:02 AM by Rachel Hansen

Chelan PUD reviewed customer feedback Monday following its first PSPS Watch, issued July 31 for the Chelan and Manson areas. The watch ended Sunday morning without an outage after updated forecasts showed conditions did not warrant a public safety power shutoff (PSPS).

“This was our first opportunity to use the PSPS alert process, and it gave us valuable experience,” said General Manager Kirk Hudson. “We appreciate customers taking the alert seriously and sharing their feedback. That input will help us make future notifications more useful.”

On July 29, Chelan PUD received early forecasts of the potential for extreme fire weather in the Chelan and Manson area on Aug. 1. Chelan PUD stood up an emergency response team to assess the threat, coordinate with fire districts and emergency management, and prepare to notify customers of a potential PSPS.

“The purpose of a PSPS Watch notification is to give customers time to prepare, even if the forecast is still uncertain,” said Chief Operating Officer Dan Koch.

Chelan PUD took several proactive measures ahead of the weather event to reduce fire risk:

  • The utility increased the sensitivity of powerline operations so that power shuts off immediately when a problem is detected.
  • Crews proactively inspected transmission powerlines to ensure they were in good condition.
  • The PUD also de-energized a redundant transmission line between Chelan and Manson without impact to customers.

Customers shared a range of perspectives through phone calls, emails and social media. Many customers supported taking proactive steps to reduce wildfire risk. Others raised concerns about how a potential outage could affect private wells, internet, cell service, food refrigeration and home medical equipment.  

Chelan PUD will use the feedback to improve how future alerts show the affected area, and steps customers can take to prepare.

“What we’ve learned collectively means we’ll be stronger for next time,” said Commissioner Garry Arseneault.

Chelan PUD has had a wildfire mitigation plan since 2017. The PUD added one of the state’s first PSPS plans in 2021 to the wildfire mitigation plan with input from fire agencies, emergency managers, community organizations and utilities with established programs. The program expanded county-wide in 2024 to more than 20 PSPS zones. The zones are designated based on potential wildfire risk.

For information about public safety power shutoffs, visit chelanpud.org/psps. Learn about how to prepare before, during and after wildfire season, visit wildfirencw.org.

Current Forecast

We are monitoring the weather forecast, and a public safety power shutoff is possible for the Chelan/Manson area on August 1. Visit our address look-up tool to learn whether your home or business is in a PSPS zone.

Image of chelan county map tool showing areas that might be affected by a Fire Safety Outage

Prepare

There are steps you can take now to prepare for a future outage:

Warning

About 48 hours before a potential PSPS:

  • We will send customer alerts as early and often as possible through email, social media, local news outlets, partner agencies, and on our outage webpage.
  • Stock up on water, shelf-stable food, gas for your car, ice for coolers, cash, medications and other things you’ll need for at least 24 hours.
  • Charge your mobile phone; consider a portable device charger.
  • If you have a generator, review the owner’s manual to ensure safe operation. Learn more about how to choose a generator and operate it safely.
  • Review how to manually open your garage door.

Outage

If the forecasted weather conditions become imminent, Chelan PUD may turn off power as a measure of last resort:

  • The PUD will provide regular updates via local media, email, our website and social media channels, and through partner agencies. 
  • Keep your refrigerator and freezer closed as much as possible. Here’s a Red Cross guide to determine if your food is safe.
  • Turn off all appliances and all but one light. Turn off the circuit breaker to your hot water heater. Wait 10 minutes after power is restored before turning these items back on. This reduces the strain on the system, and could prevent another outage.
  • Unplug any sensitive electronic equipment.
  • If you’re a PUD wastewater customer, remember to avoid dumping liquids down the drains (use short showers, few toilet flushes) to prevent a possible wastewater overflow.

Restore

  • After high winds have subsided, power will remain off to allow PUD crews to safely inspect powerlines for wind-blown debris, fallen trees, and other hazards.
  • Inspection times depend on the size of the outage and extent of the damage. It may take hours to days to ensure that all powerlines are safe to re-energize. We will restore power as soon as it's safe to do so.
  • When possible, we will provide the estimated time of restoration.

Public Safety Power Shutoff Conditions

Throughout the summer, the PUD will monitor the weather forecasts using data from the Forest Service, state Department of Natural Resources and other weather-monitoring services. We will track several factors, including predicted wind gusts, humidity, fuel moisture and potential fire behavior.

The conditions that trigger a public safety power shutoff are different and generally more severe than those that would issue a red flag warning. If we must use a PSPS, we will notify our customer-owners as soon as possible, ideally 48 hours in advance.

Learn More

Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information. 

Do you want to learn more about how we developed this plan? Visit our background page. Learn more about Chelan PUD's Wildfire Mitigation Program here. 

Do you have questions or comments? Send them to [email protected].