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At APS, our teams work year-round with public safety partners, first responders and wildfire experts in our communities to prevent, reduce and respond to wildfires. As part of our efforts, we’re reducing the risk of wildfires from our equipment by:
- maintaining more than 38,000 miles of power lines and managing vegetation
- creating defensible space by removing vegetation around equipment poles and substations
- using advanced technology to troubleshoot issues more quickly, reduce the number of customers impacted and decrease the duration of outages
A tool to reduce wildfire risk
While we have had a proactive wildfire mitigation program for many years, we are expanding the number of methods and techniques we use to reduce wildfire risk, due to extreme weather conditions. We have added a way to help protect you from wildfire, to be used only during severe fire conditions. It’s called Public Safety Power Shutoff (or PSPS), which would only impact customers in targeted, high-fire-risk communities, to keep Arizonans safe. In these conditions, we may temporarily shut off power to certain areas to prevent the electric system from starting or contributing to a wildfire.
The decision to call a Public Safety Power Shutoff is based on several factors that impact the potential for fire and how fast a fire might grow in the area, such as:
Available combustible material in the area, such as dense, dry brush
Terrain that would impact fire direction and growth
Weather, including high wind speed and gusts
These conditions may be occurring away from your home or business, but near APS power lines that provide you with electricity, so it may not be immediately obvious why there is a planned safety outage.
Impacted communities
Public Safety Power Shutoffs could impact customers in the highest fire-risk communities located in Arizona. These communities include parts of Coconino, Gila, Navajo, Pinal, and Yavapai counties.
Please note the map below is intended to give a high level visual of the potential areas impacted by PSPS. We are in the process of developing an interactive version that will provide address specific information. It is scheduled to be available by May 1. Thank you for your understanding and patience as we complete this upgrade.
Call our Customer Experience Team at (800) 253-9405 if you have questions.
Area served by PSPS-impacted power lines
A tool we will only use when necessary to help prevent wildfires
We recognize that Public Safety Power Shutoffs create hardships for our customers and communities. However, we are committed to public safety and preventing fires is a top priority.
Stay informed if there is a Public Safety Power Shutoff in your area.
When your contact information is current, it helps us keep you informed if there is an outage.
Medically sensitive customers
In the event of an outage, we will make every effort to notify vulnerable customers on our Medical Care Program who depend on electricity for life-saving medical equipment. If you or someone in your household has a life-threatening illness or uses critical medical equipment, we encourage you to apply for the Medical Care Program. You will need to enroll each year.
View APS's Public Safety Power Shutoff program filing with the Arizona Corporation Commission.
Questions and Answers
The time span of a Public Safety Power Shutoff can depend on how long extreme weather conditions last and extent of damage to electrical lines and equipment. Once extreme fire-risk conditions diminish, field crews will inspect the lines that were shut off. If there is no damage, electricity will be restored during daylight hours. In most cases, a PSPS will last no longer than 20 hours. However, the actual duration will depend on current weather conditions and if any equipment repairs are needed.
How crews get power back on after a Public Safety Power Shutoff
1. Patrol lines and look for damage
Get eyes on lines via crew or drone; determine what repairs are needed
2. Make the site safe for repairs
Redirect traffic; secure job site
3. Make repairs
Remove damaged equipment; trim trees; dig holes; install poles; string power lines; safety checks
4. Restore power
Notify customers; clean up job site
We will communicate with impacted customers often and at regular intervals via email, text or phone call if a Public Safety Power Shutoff is expected or if one occurs. For example, you’ll receive:
Planning notification days in advance based on extreme weather and fire condition forecasts
Updated timing each day leading up to a shutoff
Public Safety Power Shutoff cancellation, if weather and fire conditions improve
Status updates with an estimate of when power will turn back on and/or information on resources available
Note: Extreme weather can be erratic and may impact the exact timing of advance notification.
- We encourage you to create an account online, or if you already have an account, sign in to be sure your account information is up to date with your email address and cellphone number. You can also update your contact information by calling the APS Customer Experience Center at (800) 253-9405. When your contact information is current, it helps us keep you informed during an outage.
- Get emergency alerts in your area and have an emergency plan for your family, pets and livestock. County emergency management officials support communities in times of need, including setting up shelters and warming or cooling centers when needed. You can find resources by visiting your county website.
- Coconino County: coconino.az.gov/ready
- Gila County: readygila.com
- Navajo County: navajocountyaz.gov/ready
- Pinal County: pinal.gov/pens
- Yavapai County: yavapaiaz.gov/ready
- Store important phone numbers for medical providers, family, friends and APS in your cellphone or near your home phone.
- Make sure your cellphone is fully charged, and if possible, consider buying a portable charger.
- Have resources ready like flashlights, batteries, a radio, non-perishable food items that are easy to prepare without power, including pet and baby food and extra water, at least one gallon per person per day.
- For customers on well water, have a plan for providing water to your animals and livestock during an outage.
- Make sure you have a basic first–aid kit, medications and toiletries. Have a backup power source for essential medical equipment. If your medication requires refrigeration, make a plan for temporary storage.
- Learn to manually open your automatic garage door or security gates. If you have a generator, ensure that it’s ready to safely operate.
- If you or someone in your household has a life-threatening illness or uses critical medical equipment that requires electricity, consider applying for our Medical Care Program.
- During an outage, check aps.com/outages for community resources and ice reimbursements. During an event, resources will be available on our outage map.
In the event of an outage, we will make every effort to notify vulnerable customers on our Medical Care Program who depend on electricity for life-saving medical equipment. If you or someone in your household has a life-threatening illness or uses critical medical equipment, we encourage you to apply for the Medical Care Program. You will need to enroll each year.
Questions?
Our Customer Experience Team is here to help. Call (800) 253-9405.
Wildfire Safety
Outage Center
