Wildfire safety and prevention
Overview
At Black Hills Energy, we have a long history of delivering safe and reliable energy to our customers, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. For decades, we have employed a wide variety of wildfire mitigation measures and initiatives to support the integrity of our energy delivery systems, while safeguarding our facilities and the surrounding environment. These efforts are part of our comprehensive approach to mitigate not only wildfire risk, but also a variety of extreme weather events, including ice storms and high winds.
Wildfire mitigation at Black Hills Energy
The electric utility industry is adjusting to rapidly changing wildfire risk based on shifts in environmental conditions. Wildfire ignitions and acreage totals have experienced steep increases in recent years with several unprecedented events indicating an upward trend of larger, more damaging wildfires.
We are committed to the ongoing development and implementation of risk reduction strategies for the betterment of the environment and our customers, employees, and investors.
Our teams are connected to Black Hills Energy’s wildfire risk mitigation strategies and recognize that what we do, and how we do it, truly matters, every day. Below is a link to our 2024 Wildfire Mitigation Plan.
Three-layered approach to wildfire mitigation
Monitoring wildfire risk in Black Hills Energy service territories
There are several publicly available maps that depict wildfire risk across the continental US. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) wildfire map is one such map that is commonly referenced. FEMA wildfire risk maps for Wyoming, South Dakota and Colorado region views are shown below as of October 25, 2023.
