September 9-10 Red Flag Warning

Member Update: Public Safety Power Shutoff

September 11, 3:45 p.m. – All areas around Lowell are on, some regions of Culp Creek as well. Late afternoon a pole broke in that area and replacement is underway.

Some sections of Oakridge have been downgraded to Level Two (Be Ready). We urge our members there to consult Lane County emergency response on safety in that area. Lane Electric crews are patrolling lines around Oakridge. That restoration will take some time. We are reassigning crews there as they are available.

We’ll continue to provide updates in 2-3 hour increments this afternoon.

As previously advised, if your power was restored and goes out, please report to 541-484-1151.

September 11, 12:45 p.m. – All of Mosby Creek and the Fox Hollow region is back, as is Big Fall Creek, Winberry Creek, Molitar Ranch Road, and Bryson Sears Road.

The areas around Lowell, Culp Creek, and Dorena that are still out are in process and will be the focus of our next update in 2-3 hours.

Again, if your power was restored and goes out, please report to 541-484-1151.

September 11, 10:15 a.m. – Multiple crews are out continuing restoration substation by substation today. Due to the dry weather conditions the system is still set to high sensitivity, which may still cause outages. We will set the system back to normal once power when we believe it’s safe to do so.

If your power was restored and goes out again, please report to 541-484-1151.

The outage map will be updated throughout the day to more accurately reflect outages on our lines.

Most of the areas around Fox Hollow Road, Mosby Creek, and the McKenzie area have come back online. As have Hideaway Hills, Sher Kahn, Christensen, Cherry Hill Lane, Ricketts Rd, Dillard Rd.

We’ll continue to update throughout the day and aim to provide the next update in 2-3 hours.

September 10, 8:30 p.m. – We’ve continued to reenergize lines throughout the evening.

Areas south of Dexter reservoir are back on as are several other outlying areas of the system. Some work continues this evening.

We’ll provide the next update between 9-10 a.m. tomorrow.

September 10, 6:30 p.m. – We’ve reenergized 1,980+ plus members as we continue the process.

Please note that the outage map on our website is a predictive tool. For updates on restoration please keep checking these general updates. Crews are moving through the system as quickly and safely as they can.

We aim for a next update in 2 hours

Update: September 10, 11 a.m. - After consulting with emergency responders and reviewing conditions across Lane Electric’s service area, crews are beginning the process of power restoration. Two exceptions are Westfir and High Prairie out of Oakridge, which will remain out at the direction of Cedar Creek wildfire response command. Oakridge is currently on and will remain so unless Lane Electric is directed otherwise by emergency management. The greater Oakridge, Westfir, and High Prairie areas, incorporated and rural, remain under a Level 3 (Go Now) evacuation order. 

Restoration in the McKenzie area also will be delayed as it requires coordination with Bonneville Power Administration, who also deenergized lines in the area as a precaution.

A Red Flag Warning issued by the National Weather Service remains in place throughout Lane Electric’s service areas until 11 p.m. today. As a result, the system will remain on high sensitivity throughout the duration of the Red Flag event. 

Mutual aid crews have been called in to aid in restoration. The process will continue through the day, and potentially into Sunday given current conditions. 

We’ll provide another update around 3 p.m., or sooner if weather conditions change.

Update: September 9, 1 p.m. — As a result of the high sensitivity settings of our lines, outages are starting to occur throughout our service territory. Per the National Weather Service, we are expecting a wind event this evening and will update restoration timing based on that. We have already requested mutual aid crews and will also employ drones to assist with patrol and restoration efforts, which will begin on Sunday morning.

The duration of the restoration efforts will depend on what is discovered during those patrols. We will continue to update as the situation evolves.

September 8, 5 p.m. — Due to the extreme risk of wildfire in our service territory and continued forecast of potentially strong winds, Lane Electric Cooperative will implement a public safety power shutoff starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, September 9 through the evening of Saturday, September 10. This outage will impact nearly all members, with the city centers of Oakridge, Lowell, and Veneta remaining powered to provide key services. This decision was made after carefully considering current wildfire risk, predicted weather forecasts, consulting emergency officials, and through conversations with local utilities. With high heat in the forecast, please plan accordingly for this extended outage.

Crews will begin power restoration during daylight hours on Sunday morning. We will provide a reminder prior to the shutoff and will update frequently once restoration is underway.

For tips for preparing for outages visit:

laneelectric.com/outages/power-outage-tips

September 8, 2022, 8:30 a.m. — The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions to all communities served by Lane Electric from 11 a.m. Friday, September 9 through 11 p.m. Saturday, September 10.

For the safety of cooperative members, Lane Electric equipment will be set to high sensitivity on Friday, September 9. This setting is only used in high-risk situations.

Out of an abundance of caution, if the power does go out it will remain out until after 11 p.m. on Saturday, September 10 when crews will begin the process of patrolling lines and restoring power. Or, until weather conditions improve. This could result in a longer than usual outage.

We understand the impact this has on members. Please prepare in case of outages in your area. If there is an outage, we will provide members with updates regarding timing for restoration.

General Outage Information

On any given day, electric utilities experience small power outages across their service areas. For example, a tree in the line, a vehicle crash into a pole, or even a squirrel on a transformer can affect a single home or small pockets of members in a specific area. As such, when you look at our outage map, regardless of time of day, you might see outages appearing on the map and in the table to the right of the map, even if there are no “large-scale” outages. Our outage map displays real-time activities that are occurring, 24-7-365.

Lane Electric’s mission is to provide members with safe, reliable electric service – day and night. Despite our best efforts, severe weather and unusual circumstances can wreak havoc and cause a power outage that can last for hours or days. For more information, please review our Power Outage Tips.