With summer well underway in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle City Light has been preparing for a high-risk wildfire season. This year, conditions are drier than usual. Washington state saw some of its lowest snowpack on record, snow melted earlier than normal, and many parts of the state are already in drought.
Even though we serve customers in Seattle and nearby communities, our infrastructure system reaches far beyond the city. Our dams and transmission lines stretch through the North Cascades, the Cedar and Tolt watersheds, and other forested areas at high risk for wildfire.
We’ve seen how fires can affect our work even when they don’t damage our infrastructure. For example, in 2023, the Sourdough Fire near our Skagit facilities created dangerous smoke and forced us to change how crews operated in the field.
How We’re Preparing
With such low snowpack and early dry conditions, we are treating this as a high‑priority season.
City Light has a Wildfire Risk Reduction Strategy that we follow each year. We monitor a wide range of weather and fire-danger indicators, and vegetation management crews work year-round to maintain clearances along transmission lines.
This year, we’ve deployed advanced tools and more LiDAR surveys to measure vegetation clearances and identify equipment concerns. We’ve also partnered with the American Public Power Association to improve wildfire‑risk mapping to help us better understand and address potential hazards.
How You Can Be Prepared
Prepared communities are safer communities. Here’s how you can help:
- Create defensible space around your home.
- Plant fire-resistant plants like Oregon grape, lavender, salal, and red-flowering currant.
- Have an emergency plan and kit ready during wildfire season.
- Stay informed:
- Monitor AirNow.gov or the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Air Quality Index map for smoke and air quality conditions.
- Follow the National Weather Service Seattle forecast and fire weather outlooks for conditions in your area.
- Visit seattle.gov/city-light/wildfire-preparedness to read our Wildfire Risk Reduction Strategy and learn more about our program.
Wildfire preparedness is a shared responsibility. We are committed to doing our part, and we thank our community for doing theirs. Learn more about how City Light prepares for wildfire season at seattle.gov/city-light/wildfire-preparedness.