FortisAlberta responds to customers impacted by southern Alberta wildfires

Sep 14, 2017, 20:37 PM

The wildfires burning in southern Alberta resulted in mandatory evacuations in parts of our service territory including Cardston County, Waterton and the MD of Pincher Creek. FortisAlberta recently received clearance to re-enter impacted areas to perform triage and damage assessment. Damage to FortisAlberta poles, wires and other equipment is extensive in certain cases and, given the additional challenge of off-road terrain and access issues, may require up to five days to complete repairs.

We are committed to getting power back on as quickly as we can safely do so. Crews have been brought in from across the province to assist with restoration, and special equipment as necessary to access rough terrain. Helicopter patrols will help quickly locate damage so we can get to work.

We are also working within the FortisAlberta organization and with our associated retailers to determine how we can ensure that customers who are dealing with the aftermath of the wildfires will have the least amount of impact when it comes to their electrical bill.

Power restoration status varies for customers by area as follows:

Cardston County

The mandatory evacuation order has been lifted for residents in Cardston County. Once you’ve arrived home, please call FortisAlberta to arrange for a Power Line Technician to come out and reconnect your electricity service. Please contact our 24/7 Customer Care Centre at 310-WIRE (9473) or 1-866-717-3113.

Waterton

Waterton residents have not yet been cleared for re-entry, but FortisAlberta has installed a large generator to provide temporary power while repairs are being made.
Residents should expect power to have been restored upon re-entry. If the power is off in your home, please check your main electric panel and breaker - a blown fuse or tripped breaker could be the cause. Simply moving any tripped switches to the ‘on’ position can often restore electricity. If it is still off, please contact our 24/7 Customer Care Centre at 310-WIRE (9473) or 1-866-717-3113.

MD of Pincher Creek

Power is to be restored to MD of Pincher Creek residents at 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15, 2017.

Generator Safety

If you plan to run a generator to provide temporary power at your home, please ensure you follow these safety guidelines:

- Make sure your home generator is properly connected to keep your home and our Power Line Technicians safe.
- Plug appliances directly into the generator
- Do not overload the generator
- Use a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector at home

Click here for more safety information.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our 24/7 Customer Care Centre at 310-WIRE (9473) or 1-866-717-3113.

Helpful Resources

- FortisAlberta app – map of current power outages with estimated restoration times
- Alberta Emergency Alert app – critical information about immediate disasters
- Your local municipal office – questions regarding re-entry
- Parks Canada