Preparing for a Power Outage During Bushfires

Being bushfire aware and prepared is a ‘shared responsibility’ across government, emergency services and our communities. We all need to work together to ensure we are fire ready across Western Australia. Western Power’s role in this community approach is maintaining commitment to putting safety first during bushfire season and reducing the risk of bushfires across the network.

Preparing for bushfire season, vegetation management and ongoing network maintenance is done; including clearing trees and bushes, replacing poles and maintaining overhead lines and insulators.

Once we are in bushfire season Western Power we modify the network settings to make them more sensitive when the risk of bushfire is greatest (December to April). This reduces the likelihood of starting a bushfire but results in more frequent outages that may last longer depending on DFES and local government restrictions,.

When a total fire ban or vehicle movement ban is declared, residents may experience longer outages. In these instances power may not be restored until the evening or the next day, depending when it is deemed to be safe enough to do so.

Western Power still works during these months to restore your power as quickly and as safely as possible following a power outage. Helicopter inspections during Bushfire season to inspect areas that are inaccessible due to DFES or local government restrictions or severe summer weather. 

Community members can take steps to prepare for an outage including maintaining an emergency electricity and water supply, learning how to open automatic garage doors or gates without power and keeping a torch and spare batteries handy.

To help prepare Shire of Lake Grace and local residents for a power outage during bushfire season Western Power have developed a brochure and short checklist which is attached and can be accessed via our website here.

Outages and restoration times can be monitored by visiting westernpower.com.au Faults, emergencies and power interruption information can be accessed through our emergency line on 13 13 51. For general enquiries please call 13 10 87.