Wildfire Preparedness

City Light's Wildfire Risk Reduction Strategy

Warmer and drier conditions, driven by our changing climate, are increasing the frequency, size, and intensity of wildfires. Even the traditionally wet forests of the Pacific Northwest are now at greater risk, along with the buildings and infrastructure within these areas.

Seattle City Light is aware of these evolving wildfire conditions. The risk of our infrastructure igniting fires is low, but we recognize that wildfire risk is growing even in typically damp regions of the state. In response, we have implemented measures to reduce the likelihood of igniting wildfires and to mitigate their potential impacts on our energy facilities, electricity delivery, and the communities we serve.

City Light has been managing wildfire risk for years. As part of these efforts, we developed our Wildfire Risk Reduction Strategy (WRRS) to formalize and advance our wildfire risk reduction efforts. The strategy also complies with Washington State requirement RCW 12.29A.170.

Wildfire Risk Reduction Strategy

Key Elements of City Light’s Strategy

The WRRS addresses the potential for our assets and infrastructure to cause wildfires and be impacted by them. The key elements of our strategy include the following:

• Risk Assessment: Understanding the risk of electric grid assets causing wildfires, as well as the risk of those assets being impacted by wildfires.
• Risk Mitigation: Reducing wildfire risk through actions such as grid hardening and vegetation management.
• Emergency Management: Monitoring high-risk weather conditions when fires are more likely to occur and responding accordingly.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborating with communities that may be affected by wildfires or our responses and coordinating with emergency response organizations and municipalities.
• Governance and Evaluation: Designating responsibilities for executing the WRRS and providing oversight to measure performance and guide improvements.

Future Updates to the Strategy

We will update this document regularly (at least every three years) as we refine our preventive measures and learn new ways to assess risk and respond to threats. We recognize that wildfire preparedness is a collective effort. We value the importance of coordinating with communities, city departments, county and state agencies, and utilities to better understand and mitigate wildfire risks.