Wildfire Mitigation & Power Line Safety

Blachly-Lane Wildfire Mitigation

We’re committed to protecting our members, communities, and electric system from the growing threat of wildfires. Our updated Wildfire Mitigation Plan, approved by our Board of Directors in June 2025, outlines the proactive steps we’re taking to reduce wildfire risk and keep our system safe and reliable.

This latest plan builds on our previous version from 2022 and reflects new technologies and field experience. Key updates include feeder-level risk analysis and zone mapping, enhanced operational practices, and quality assurance processes for equipment inspection and vegetation management practices that help prevent wildfire ignitions. We invite you to review the updated plan and learn how Blachly-Lane works hard to create safer communities during wildfire season. 👉 Read the Updated Plan Here

Fire Weather Map
The National Weather Service issues Fire Weather Warnings and Red Flag Alerts by fire zones. They also provide an interactive Fire Weather Map that shows current fire weather across these zones. Each zone has similar weather and land features that can affect wildfire risk. On the map, you can click your area to see the latest forecasts, fire weather watches, or red flag warnings.

Blachly-Lane’s service area is partly within Fire Weather Zones 683 and 685. However, these zone boundaries don’t match up exactly with our service territory. This means some parts of our system may be under alerts while others are not. The fire zones also don’t reflect how our substations or power lines are set up. That’s why Blachly-Lane uses fire zone information along with local weather and our system knowledge to evaluate wildfire risks. By carefully monitoring all of these factors, we can decide the right level of wildfire safety measures needed to keep our members and communities safe.

Want to know what you can do to prepare for wildfire season?

Tip #1: Defend your space

Your landscaping choices could prevent fire damage to your home. Create a defensible space—a buffer between vegetation and your home—by removing all loose debris, dead leaves, and other plants from within 30 feet of your home. Ensure shrubs and trees have 10 feet of space between their branches.

Tip #2: Stock up on supplies

Power outages and damage to other utilities and businesses could restrict your access to electricity, clean water, and groceries. Stock up on nonperishable food, water, first-aid supplies, batteries, and flashlights. Store 14 days’ worth of water—a gallon per person per day is a good rule of thumb. Don’t forget pets and livestock! More information on preparedness can be found on our Outage Preparedness page.

Tip #3: Prepare for a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS)

When there are extreme wildfire concerns in our service territory, Blachly-Lane may proactively shut off power to reduce the risk of sparks from tree branches hitting power lines. If you rely on electric medical equipment, please have a backup power source. Shutting off power is a last resort for the ultimate safety of Blachly-Lane employees, members, and their properties, and we always do our best to notify you if there’s potential for a PSPS. However, conditions can change quickly, and it’s safest for members to always be prepared.

Tip #4: Unplug for a while

Lose power? Turning off lights and unplugging electronics and appliances can prevent damage when power is restored. This can also reduce the burden on the grid and enable power to be restored more quickly. Use surge protectors, and consider turning off your main breaker if wildfire activity is nearby or if you evacuate.

Tip #5: Know we have your back

At Blachly-Lane Electric Cooperative, we always consider safety and reliability. Power shutoffs only occur when absolutely necessary, and we work hard to keep you informed.

Additional Wildfire Mitigation Resources

• Oregon Defensible Space for Homeowners & Renters
• Oregon Department of Forestry – Western Lane District Facebook -ODF offers Firewise Community information and other resources

Be Ready to Receive Co-op Notifications and Alerts

When fire weather warnings, red flag days, and planned outages occur in our area, Blachly-Lane tries to notify members. Depending on the circumstances and the notifications you asked for, we might send alerts by phone, text, or email. You can add multiple points of contact (cell phone or landline phone numbers, emails, etc.) to ensure you and others in your household or business never miss an important update from Blachly-Lane. Please log in to SmartHub today to make sure we have your up-to-date information and know how to reach you best. If you need assistance logging in, please call us Monday-Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We’ll be glad to help!

Sign up for Lane Alerts

For county-wide emergency notifications—including evacuation notices—Lane County residents are encouraged to sign up at www.LaneAlerts.org. Creating a free account lets you choose exactly how and where you’d like to receive alerts. Prefer a quick start? Simply text your ZIP code to 888777 to begin receiving emergency notifications directly from Lane County.

👉 More Outage Safety Information Here

Do you know what to do if your car contacts a power line?

Hay on Power Lines

Help keep electricity flowing to our communities and keep them safe from the threat of fire. If you spot hay or grass collecting on a power line, please report it to your local utility.

Late spring and early summer is hay season in the northwest. During and after harvest, excess hay is carried by the wind and often lands on transmission lines. Widespread power interruptions and even fires have resulted from grasses collecting on power lines.

Tree Trimming & Power Line Friendly Trees

Help us keep service reliability high and costs to members low by using power line-friendly trees on your property. Members who have qualifying trees removed may be eligible to participate in our Power-Line-Friendly tree program, where Blachly-Lane may help with the cost of replacement trees. Call us at (541) 688-8711 and ask to speak with our right-of-way foreman. He can assess your situation and determine whether your existing trees are a hazard to Blachly-Lane power lines and poles.

Tree Planting Guide

If you’re getting ready to plant trees, bushes, or shrubs, please look around to see where overhead power lines may hinder their growth in the future.

A 2-foot tall fir seedling will grow over 100 feet tall and 30 to 50 feet wide. The cost to maintain a tree like this for the duration of its life can be over $30,000.

After you’ve looked up, look down for underground service as well. Planting over underground utilities or planting cover to hide underground utilities makes an outage last longer and is unsafe for workers. To get your underground utilities located free of charge, just call 811.

Other things to consider:

• No trees should be planted within 25 feet of power lines.
• Small trees that mature less than 25 feet tall should be planted at least 25 feet from power lines.
• Medium trees that mature less than 40 feet should be planted at least 40 feet from power lines.
• Large trees that mature larger than 40 feet tall should be planted at least 60 feet from power lines.

Power Line Friendly Trees

Use the power line friendly trees list below to choose trees that grow no higher than 25 feet and seldom need pruning for power line clearance.