Talent Residents are Frustrated by Power Outages During Triple Digit Heatwave

By Edith M. On Jul 12, 2024 Last updated Jul 12, 2024

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. — The triple digit heatwave blanketing the Rogue Valley in Oregon is causing power outages, frustrating residents of Talent. However, they are going to have to exercise patience as outages could continue through to October.

Power Lines on Elevated Fire Risk Settings

The outages occur automatically when Pacific Power switches power lines to the ‘elevated risk’ setting which automatically cuts supply to avoid sparks that can cause wildfires.

Pacific Power spokesperson Simon Gutierrez says no date has been set for the utility to return line settings to normal operation and, as Oregon’s wildfire season continues through to October, power outages throughout Jackson County could continue until then.

Talent appears to have suffered the brunt of electricity disruptions, with one power outage lasting 22 hours. With temperatures hovering at an uncomfortable 111 F nerves are frayed.

Mayor Darby Ayers-Flood describes the situation as devastating, adding that Talent experienced six outages in six days at the beginning of July. She says while power outages may reduce the risk of fire during a record-breaking heatwave, it posed dangers to customers reliant on electricity for medical services.

Mayor Describes Pacific Power’s Lack of Communication as Unacceptable

Mayor Ayers-Flood says businesses are suffering and complains about Pacific Power’s customer service. She says it takes days to reach Pacific Power for an explanation and describes the lack of communication as unacceptable.

Pacific Power spokesperson Gutierrez points out that the utility organized an in-person forum in Medford in May at which wildfire safety settings were explained. The utility also sent notifications to customers via email.

Describing the number of outages in Talent as a coincidence, Gutierrez explains that restoring electricity can take hours when wildfire risks are high because power lines must be inspected manually.

Gutierrez says during the wildfire season Pacific Power settings are on sensitive and, if there is interference such as branches falling onto powerlines, the power lines are immediately de-energized to safety settings to prevent sparks from igniting a wildfire.

Takeaway

Talent was the hardest hit in the 2020 Labor Day wildfires, suffering the greatest loss of businesses and residential properties.

Pacific Power, and owners PacifiCorp, faced a series of lawsuits after which they were ordered to pay more than half a billion dollars in damages to communities and timber companies.