Regional utility companies work to mitigate wildfire risks

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — The interaction of electrical lines and the landscape around them, especially trees, often ends badly - it can cause power outages any time of year, but in the summer in particular it can cause fires. Keeping fires from happening requires close attention to power lines and the areas around them, and that’s not just a summer job. “Fire season is a condition that can exist at any time of year,” wrote JoDee Black of NorthWestern Energy, based in Missoula, Montana via email. “Each year’s weather conditions impact those situations differently: Early season rains encourage plant growth which fuels fires later in the growing season, and winters with little snow leave dry plant material available for late season fires.” ...