FortisBC line crews having busy winter in BC Interior

FortisBC utility crews have been busy this winter with downed trees on power lines as the freeze-thaw cycle weighs on branches.

It took a small army of FortisBC linemen to restore power to Big White last week and a snapped tree took out electricity to the resort.

"It seems like we're having trees that aren't able to shed that snow load, and trees that aren’t normally a concern to us end up being impacted and impacting us and creating issues,” explained FortisBC operations supervisor Matt Wilson.

While responding quickly and safely to power outages and downed power lines is a big part of their job, FortisBC tells Castanet it's very important to stay proactive and ahead of potential problems.

"Vegetation is always growing. We do maintain lines in some really rugged and backcountry areas. In fact, trees are consistently among the top three reasons for power outages every year," added FortisBC communications advisor Nicole Brown.

"At any given time throughout the province, we have 10 to 15 crews out there clearing trees and our rights of way within communities along our distribution lines, and it’s all in the interest of keeping energy flowing reliably to our customers."

With a cold snap in the forecast and more snow possible for the Okanagan, FortisBC wants people to be prepared for the potential of more power outages.

“The public first and foremost needs to know that if you come across something that’s unusual, you need to stay away from it and phone us.That’s the very first most important thing to know," said Wilson.

"And then, over and above that, to be prepared. That means warm clothes, food, water, communication, means to get help if required, and basically that we’re going to be out there working as hard as we can to get power back up.”

If you’re looking for more information on how to be prepared ahead of an outage this winter, you can visit the FortisBC website to learn more.