77-days after the Dixie Fire burned through PG&E’s transmission line in the Feather River canyon, forcing Lassen Municipal Utility District to switch to their backup power source in Wendel, electricity is again flowing in the canyon and LMUD is again receiving power from the Caribou Line.
The Honey Lake Power facility in Wendel came to the valley’s rescue in July after fire damaged the PG&E line in a rugged area, inaccessible to power crews, leaving the LMUD system in the dark without it’s primary source of electricity.
The Dixie Fire covered a lot of territory over the summer and left a wide swath of damage to the power infrastructure in its wake. Miles of power poles, transmission lines and equipment were lost in the fire.
“In order for LMUD to interconnect with the fire-ravaged Caribou Line, PG&E replaced 68-damaged poles,” explains LMUD Public Relations Manager Theresa Phillips.
Although extensive progress has been made repairing the badly damaged line, there is still work to be completed. According to Phillips repair work is tentatively scheduled for September 27th and LMUD’s system will utilize Honey Lake Power while repairs are completed.
“LMUD would like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding during what has been a very difficult summer. We will continue to provide updates to the community as information is made available to us,” said Phillips.
