Once signed in, your language preference will only be available on your My Account page and the account-related pages you access from it.

Wildfire Season: How You Can Prepare

Summer temperatures and high winds typically extend fire season from May through October, but PGE prepares year-round to protect people, property and public spaces from wildfires. Learn how you can prepare for wildfire season, too.

En Español

Outages & Safety

Safety

Navigate this page

Start by creating a defensible space

Defensible space is the buffer you create between your home or business and the grass, trees, shrubs or any other wildland area that surrounds you. You can start by clearing away flammable trees and plants. Contact your city or county emergency management office to learn how you actively reduce wildfire risk by establishing defensible space around your home or business.

Tips to create defensible space

Prepare for Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS)

During wildfire season, extreme conditions may lead to a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). This is when we proactively turn off power to potentially prevent a wildfire when conditions threaten our ability to safely operate the grid. It is a last-resort safety measure to protect people, property and public spaces. Below is how you can prepare for a power outage or PSPS.

Stay in the know

Update your email address and phone number with us online, on the PGE app or by calling us, so we can send you notices in the event of a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS).

Make a plan

The outage kit checklist also has a planning checklist on the back, but you can start here for the basics:

Plan ahead to relocate with a friend, family member or to a shelter, especially if you have a medical condition that requires electricity or you work or learn from home
Always keep ice packs in your freezer to keep food cold until you can get ice and know how to keep your food safe
Have a plan so you don’t lose your water, like stored water or bulk water delivery — especially if powering a well pump during an outage
Plan for feeding and watering pets or livestock if well pumps don't have power
Consider buying a backup generator and follow the manufacturers' guidelines for its safe operation

Create a summer outage kit

Summer outages are different than winter outages. Plan for household needs and gather what you’ll need to stay cool, fed and hydrated. Below are a few basic items, and you'll find a more robust checklist for a PSPS here.

Flashlights or headlamps
Battery- or hand-powered radio and fans
Extra batteries
Car chargers for cell phones and electronic devices
Bottled water for people and animals (if you rely on electricity to pump water)
Frozen cold packs or water frozen in bags or plastic bottles (keep ready in your freezer)
Emergency phone numbers, including PGE Customer Service: 503-228-6322

Plan for medical needs

While we work to restore power as quickly as possible to all customers, it is your responsibility to have a backup system and plan in place for power outages or other emergencies.

Keep your medical needs powered, no matter what

We encourage customers with medical needs and facilities that care for vulnerable populations and depend on electricity for medical equipment to have a backup source of power and contingency plans in the event of an outage.
Enroll in our Medical Certificate Program, this lets us know where there are critical needs so we can proactively communicate with you about outages.
Plan ahead to relocate with a friend, family member or to a shelter if needed.
Consider buying a backup generator and follow manufacturers' guidelines for its safe operation.

Plan for evacuation

Plan your evacuation route if needed (see your county’s evacuation guide). Keep your car fueled, know where to go and alternate routes to get there. It's also a good idea to take photos of every room in your home, including your garage and shed, so you have an inventory of your belongings if you need to make an insurance claim.

Create an emergency kit

In addition to actions and outage kit items listed above, here are a few emergency items you should have ready to go in the event of an evacuation.

Hard copies of what you need in an evacuation like ID and passports, financial records, insurance information, legal records, birth certificates and social security cards and a paper map of your area.
Glasses, dentures, hearing aids, prescription and over-the-counter medicine, medical equipment and supplies like extra oxygen
Infant supplies, pet supplies including collar with ID tags, personal hygiene and sanitation supplies
Clothing, shoes/boots, summer-weight jackets, work gloves, extra undies, socks, pillows and blankets or sleeping bags, dust/face masks, sunglasses and rubber gloves
First aid kit, whistle to signal for help, wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, a knife or multi-purpose tool, duct tape, twine, paper and a marker for leaving notes or labeling your items

Find a more comprehensive list of emergency kit items that might also be useful here.

More resources

Community involvement

Wildfire prevention takes all of us. We work closely with local, state and federal land and emergency management agencies, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Department of Forestry, Tribes, fire districts and emergency responders to plan and coordinate on wildfire prevention and response. Here's how you can get involved.

Invite us to speak at your event

Still have questions or don't quite know what to ask? We get it! That's why PGE employees are available to speak at your business, community or school event. Request a PGE representative

Wildfire Ready Events

Our wildfire plans include you! Every spring, we host Wildfire Ready events where you can learn about our Wildfire Mitigation Plan (WMP) and share your thoughts as we develop next year's plan. If you have questions before next year's events, contact us.