Wildfire-power grid interactions: Feedback, impacts, monitoring, modeling, and mitigation strategies

Key Points

• Feedback mechanisms between wildfires and power grids can amplify risks, leading to increased outages during fire events.
• Troubling interactions can occur when power grids are unable to handle the stress from nearby wildfires, exacerbating infrastructure vulnerability.
• Analysis of various power grids highlights the need for better monitoring systems to predict wildfire impacts effectively.
• Improved modeling and mitigation strategies may help reduce damage to power grids in wildfire-prone areas, indicating a pressing need for action.