Spatial Analysis Safeguards Utility Stakeholders from Wildfire

CORE Electric Cooperative serves about 170,000 members across 5,000 square miles along Colorado's front range. The territory is nearly split in half between its western mountains and eastern plains and includes the critical interface between these regions. 

In recent years, Colorado has experienced an increase in the number and size of wildfires. Because CORE maintains a solid focus to protect communities, employees, utility facilities, and the environment from these threats, the utility needed to address the trend of increasing damage and personal injuries from such events. 

CORE approaches wildfires in four ways: risk analysis, mitigation, situational awareness, and response. The utility uses ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Enterprise, and ArcGIS Online to manage and utilize spatial data about its system and territory to address these needs.

First, CORE adds data from the Colorado State Forest Service to overlay the electric infrastructure in ArcGIS. This data includes wildfire risk and burn probability. Using spatial analysis, CORE then assigns risk values to electric system components and line segments. Each circuit receives a determined risk designation when the data is rolled up to the circuit level.

Furthermore, each line segment and device is also tagged with precise information. For example, protective devices are assigned two risk indicators: one for the location they occupy and a second based on the risks downline of the device. Detailed risk data helps drive critical mitigation and operational decisions. 

The geographic information system (GIS) supports mitigation and system hardening efforts by allowing operations staff to capture data and track progress for vegetation management, line inspection, wire replacement, pole inspection, and other system improvement efforts.

Situational awareness is attained by monitoring real-time data feeds. For example, the National Weather Service declares red flag warning days to make wind and humidity forecasts, increasing hazard knowledge. In addition, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) reports near real-time thermal anomaly data from satellite observation. Vital real-time information is superimposed on the service territory by using ArcGIS.

As a partner and recipient of Colorado's Fire Guard notification system and Wildfire Incident Management System, CORE presents warnings and system details with ArcGIS Dashboards and maps. As a result, situational awareness is raised across the organization. Users in the office and the field readily explore conditions in those areas on their displays. The transmission and distribution elements are color-coded based on risk and shown with the seven-day weather forecast. 

The utility communicates widely in response to heightened risks or a fire incident. For example, the control center alerts operation crews and contractors via email with detailed, mapped information. In addition, CORE's public relations team notifies local agencies, updates the utility's website, and posts on social media using the risk analysis and tracking results.

Throughout any response to a fire incident, the GIS team continually monitors many sources of information. It provides near real-time updates on the incident progress to management and the control center. Going further, CORE identifies affected service locations with the GIS and reaches out to those members via direct mail, text messages, and automated phone calls when appropriate. Member messages may include red flag warnings, incident-related outages, and service restoration updates.
 

CORE uses location intelligence to prepare for, respond to, and restore services after wildfire events. Using the risk levels associated with facilities, staff prioritize system improvement and hardening projects for maximum effect. Moreover, GIS tracks hot spots, fire perimeters, road closures, and the facilities involved during an event. With proper situational awareness, feeder protection settings may be adjusted for added protection. Likewise, crews install temporary protective devices in their work areas to further sectionalize lines and increase safety based on a keen understanding of risks. In extreme cases, work is suspended until conditions improve.

CORE leverages detailed location-based information, analytical functions, and swift communication to safeguard its stakeholders from wildfire danger.