Restoration work and damage assessments have begun on BC Hydro infrastructure in areas impacted by the Big Bar Complex and Brunswick Complex wildfires.
Approximately 1,100 customers in the Big Bar Complex area and roughly 100 customers in the Brunswick Complex area remain without power, according to a news release from BC Hydro on Thursday (July 30)
Preliminary assessments have identified significant damage to electricity infrastructure in the Big Bar Complex area, including approximately 230 distribution poles and 200 transmission poles.
As damage assessments continue, BC Hydro said crews have started preliminary restoration activities, including civil work, access preparation, and material staging. Restoring power will require rebuilding large sections of infrastructure due to the scale of the damage, according to the release.
BC Hydro estimates Clinton could be “re-energized” within approximately two weeks, subject to fire conditions.
Wildfire conditions are preventing crews from fully assessing all affected infrastructure, BC Hydro said.
“With fire activity ongoing, there remains strong potential for additional damage, and the full extent of impacts is not yet known,” the release reads.
Meanwhile, BC Hydro crews are also are preparing to begin restoration work in the Brunswick Complex, after assessments identified approximately 34 damaged transmission and distribution poles on the west side of the Fraser River and five additional distribution poles that need replacing east of the river near Ainslie Creek.
Restoration work is expected to begin on Thursday (July 30) and continue on Friday (July 31).
“As crews gain access to additional infrastructure, restoration timelines will become clearer,” BC Hydro said.
Areas impacted by BC Hydro outages in the Big Bar Complex area include Clinton, 70 Mile House, portions of the Cache Creek area, Big Bar Lake, and the Highway 97 corridor between 70 Mile House and Loon Lake south of Clinton. Meanwhile, Boston Bar, Hell’s Gate, China Bar, North End, and other nearby areas are impacted by the Brunswick Complex.
BC Hydro noted that customers evacuated for five days or longer could qualify for an automatic bill credit for electricity used during that period.
More information is available at bchydro.com.