Canmore Could Face Proactive Power Shutoffs During Extreme Wildfire Conditions

Canmore residents could face proactive power outages during severe wildfire conditions under a new utility-led strategy aimed at preventing fires.

The Public Safety Power Shutoff protocols, presented to Canmore council May 5 by Alberta electricity providers AltaLink and FortisAlberta, would allow utilities to proactively cut power to parts of the Bow Valley during rare combinations of extreme fire weather and high winds.

Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) are planned preventive outages intended to reduce wildfire ignition risk during dangerous fire conditions.

AltaLink operates much of the province’s high-voltage transmission system, while FortisAlberta distributes electricity to many local communities. Utility officials described the measure as a “last resort.”

“If we think this is the safest step to take during these extreme conditions to protect the communities we serve, it’s a step we’re willing to do,” said Colin Harvey, AltaLink’s municipal and community relations manager.

AltaLink and FortisAlberta told council the Bow Valley falls within designated high wildfire-risk areas identified by the utilities, meaning Canmore could be affected by future shutoff events.

Under the proposed framework presented to council, a shutoff would only be considered when two conditions occur simultaneously: a Fire Weather Index above 60 and wind gusts exceeding 60 kilometres per hour.

“It’s not one or the other,” said Harvey. “Those conditions have to come together for us to actually have a PSPS.”

The Fire Weather Index is part of Canada’s national wildfire danger rating system and uses factors such as temperature, humidity, wind speed and fuel dryness to estimate wildfire risk.

Harvey said AltaLink has not seen those conditions align in the Canmore area over the past 10 to 15 years, indicating such shutoffs would likely be rare.

“We may have been over an FWI 60, but we didn’t have the winds, or vice versa,” he said.

Still, he warned that if a shutoff is triggered, residents could be without power for 72 hours or longer while crews inspect power infrastructure before electricity is restored.

Utilities said residents and municipal officials would receive advance notice before any shutoff, allowing communities time to prepare for potential outages.

One operational change involves disabling systems that normally restore power automatically after outages, requiring crews to physically inspect infrastructure before service can resume.

“The challenge we have is that with the lines being without power, we don’t have any data to tell us what condition the line is in,” Harvey said. “We do have to get out there, we don't want to just re-energize the line right away.”

The discussion prompted significant concern from councillors about the public safety implications of intentionally shutting off electricity in a mountain community heavily reliant on tourism, communications infrastructure and electrically powered services.

Coun. Tanya Foubert questioned how medically vulnerable residents would be protected if power was cut during periods of extreme wildfire risk.

“My concern is that there is a trade-off here in terms of public safety,” Foubert said.

Councillors also raised concerns about refrigeration, debit and payment systems, rooftop wildfire sprinkler systems, communications towers, businesses and residents relying on powered medical equipment.

Canmore emergency management officials said a Public Safety Power Shutoff would likely require activation of the town’s Emergency Coordination Centre, the town’s emergency operations hub during disasters, and a broader emergency response.

“It wouldn’t happen without us being notified and without us being able to put our own emergency management plans in place,” said Caitlin Miller, the town’s director of emergency management.

The proposed shutoffs reflect a broader shift across western North America as utilities adapt to increasingly severe wildfire risk.

An average of 1,100 to 1,200 wildfires occur annually in Alberta, according to data presented to council. Utility officials said electrical infrastructure is responsible for less than 10% of wildfire starts, but stressed that even a single ignition during severe conditions could have devastating consequences.

This strategy reflects lessons learned from catastrophic wildfires elsewhere in North America.

The policy is heavily influenced by destructive U.S. wildfires, including several California fires and the 2023 Lahaina wildfire in Maui, Hawaii, where electrical infrastructure came under intense scrutiny as a possible ignition source. The Maui wildfire became one of the deadliest U.S. wildfires in over a century, killing more than 100 people and destroying large portions of the district of Lahaina, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

“We don’t want to become one of those stats,” Harvey said.

AltaLink and FortisAlberta said Public Safety Power Shutoffs are only one part of a broader wildfire mitigation strategy that also includes vegetation management, equipment upgrades, enhanced inspections, weather monitoring stations, wildfire cameras and operational changes during periods of elevated fire risk.

One such operational change involves disabling systems that normally restore power automatically after outages, allowing crews to physically inspect infrastructure before service resumes.

The utilities said they now work through the Alberta Wildfire Utility Coalition and Alberta’s Powerline Wildfire Risk Mitigation Task Force to co-ordinate wildfire planning and share data with government agencies and other utility providers.

Harvey also urged residents to prepare for prolonged outages by assembling 72-hour emergency kits containing essentials such as food, water, medications, flashlights, batteries and backup power supplies, while ensuring contingency plans are in place for medical needs and other critical services.

“Be prepared and have a 72-hour emergency kit, making sure that you have stuff in there that your family can be comfortable with for those 72 hours,” Harvey said.