As fire season starts to heat up in Montana, the threat of electrical power lines igniting dry forests is raising concerns. Power lines started the deadliest and most expensive fire in California history last November, the Camp Fire, which destroyed the town of Paradise and killed 85 people.
The threat of vegetation falling on Montana power lines has increased in recent years due to the rising number of beetle-killed trees.
“There was this massive accumulation of standing kill and new hazard trees,” Brad Johnson, the chairman of the Montana Public Service Commission said. “It’s a matter of recognizing the new threat and dealing with it.”
The Public Service Commission is the agency that regulates utility companies.
Much of the responsibility for those electric lines falls on NorthWestern Energy, Montana’s largest supplier of electricity.