Fire-resistant utility poles and undergrounding power lines are time-tested ways, when feasible, for electric cooperatives to harden their system against wildfires. But as wildfire threat broadens nationally, an array of new tools and technologies is becoming available.

In 2024, Vernonia-based West Oregon Electric Cooperative purchased a fire-suppression trailer that can snuff out fires while they're small.

The system is a mobile, self-contained unit equipped with a 500-gallon water tank, pump, hoses and firefighting tools that allow co-op crews to quickly respond to small fires rather than wait for a larger firetruck to arrive.

“It can easily be brought to any job site," WOEC General Manager Billi Kohler says.

The co-op also has a solar-powered remote automated weather station (RAWS) that provides real-time localized weather data. The information is used to assess fire risk and plan safe work practices.

WOEC also bought a special mower from Caterpillar to clear overgrown brush and small trees in their rights of way that can spark wildfires.

“Investing in tools like these enables us to proactively mitigate fire risk," Kohler says. “It's all part of our commitment to providing safe and reliable service to our members."

New fire detection devices are also coming online.

One sensor can last about 10 years and sense fires within a roughly three-acre space. In addition to Europe and Asia, Dryad has deployed its sensors in the U.S. and Canada, including at a large-scale solar farm in Florida.

Early detection “is so important," Brinkschulte says. “Time is really of the essence when it comes to fire."

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