FLAGSTAFF, AZ — Parts of the Flagstaff area and thousands of customers may be without power beginning Wednesday due to the risk of wildfires.
On Tuesday, Arizona Public Service (APS) announced it may need to temporarily shut off power in high fire-risk communities to help prevent electrical equipment from starting or contributing to a wildfire.
APS says the shutoff could happen as early as 9 a.m. It's unclear when it could be restored.
Meteorologists and fire mitigation specialists are tracking extreme and rapidly changing weather and fire conditions and have determined that extreme winds, with gusts nearing 70 miles per hour, coupled with dry terrain and other factors, pose elevated wildfire risk.
The following list is the impacted areas where customers would experience power shutoffs:
- Doney Park
- Timberline
- Fernwood
- Mormon Lake
- Cosnino
- Sunset Crater
- Walnut Canyon
- Valle
APS says if weather conditions improve, the planned safety shutoff may be canceled. APS will keep impacted customers informed and is working with local emergency management.
Customers can monitor the APS Outage Map tomorrow for outage times.
The City of Flagstaff provided the following tips:
- If you rely on life-sustaining medical equipment requiring electricity, register for the APS Medical Care program [aps.com] at 602-371-7171 or 800-253-9405. This notifies APS of your needs in the event of an outage.
- Build your emergency kit containing flashlights, batteries, non-perishable food, and bottles of water.
- Check your smoke detectors’ batteries and ensure they will function without power.
- Learn how to manually open your electric garage door or security gates.
- Check on your neighbors to see if they need help preparing.
Residents should:
- Use generators safely (outside and away from windows).
- Disconnect appliances and electronics to avoid damage from electrical surges.
- Keep refrigerators and freezers closed to retain temperatures.
- Visit the Murdoch Center (203 E Brannen Ave) during the outage to get information, charge medical devices, phones or small electronics, refrigerate medicine, or grab a bottle of water.
