Ten days of wildfire-related problems are over for members of a Southern California electric cooperative—which was able to do some system upgrades early as part of the repairs.
Anza Electric Cooperative wrapped up a 50-step reboot of its distribution system late Aug. 3, ending service rotations and air-conditioning restrictions imposed after the Cranston wildfires burned up two miles of Anza Electric’s only transmission line, which is owned by Southern California Edison. When service went down July 25, the co-op was already working out details on an emergency plan with its power provider, Arizona Generation and Transmission Cooperatives.
A fleet of five trailer-mounted generators kept power on consistently through most of Anza EC’s territory. The co-op urged members to forgo air conditioning to help limit demand.
Throughout the Cranston outages, Anza EC’s office was open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Anza EC’s commitment stemmed from knowing exactly what members were going through. Many are long-distance commuters who make the daily trek into metropolitan San Diego and Los Angeles. The smoke and haze rising over the San Jacinto Mountains from the Cranston Fire were constant reminders of hardships facing residents who live in the high desert drylands, nearly 4,000 feet above sea level.
The co-op supported repair operations by allowing SCE crews and contractors to stage from its headquarters. The investor-owned utility made a massive push to get power restored, beating its estimate by several days.
A total of 80 line and civil engineering crews were involved in repair and replacement of nearly 130 overhead transmission structures. Nearly 40 vegetation management crews and 13 traffic control crews also supported repairs, with the help of 16 damage assessment teams and three helicopters.
Authorities have said the Cranston Fire, ignited by a series of arson blazes, is now more than 96 percent contained. Nearly 600 firefighters have been involved in its control and suppression.
The collective response to the fire has drawn praise and appreciation from affected co-op members.