Several central Utah counties warned of eventual extended power outage: ‘Start planning and preparing now’

Date:2025-07-31 06:45:33 Category:News Views:3 Comment:0

RICHFIELD, Utah (ABC4) — As the Monroe Canyon Fire continues to devastate the area just south of Richfield in Sevier County, officials are warning that transmission lines for power have a high probability of shutting down.

In a social media post, the Sevier County Emergency Manager Deputy William C Taufer said the Karkane Power transmission lines running through Bear Valley are likely to be powered down.

“This may not come today, but will eventually come in the foreseeable future. Start planning and preparing now,” said Taufer.

Containment drops for Monroe Fire as flames claim another 5,000 acres, now largest fire of the season

Who will this impact?

According to Taufer, a shutdown of the Garkane Power transmission lines will affect Sevier County, Garfield County, Piute County and Wayne County. Specifically, the town affected will be Burrville, Koosharem, Fishlake Basin, Greenwich, Angle, Antimony and all of Wayne County.

Once the lines have been powered down, Taufer said it is unclear how long the power outage will last. He added only that the outage will last an “extended period.”

How to plan for an extended power outage

With a power outage likely, it is important to have a plan in place. Rocky Mountain Power said one of the first things to do would be to assemble or restock an emergency kit.

Items that should go into your emergency kit include:

Non-perishable food for both family and pets
Water, at least one gallon per person per day
Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
A flashlight with extra batteries
Blankets
A manual can-opener
A solar-powered cell phone charger
Cash
Copies of important documents
A First-Aid kit with essential medications
Any special items for infants, elderly or disabled family members

Ready.gov also recommends including things such as a dust mask, a whistle, and local maps. If you have room, Ready.gov also recommends adding soap and hand sanitizer, matches, personal hygiene products, and any activities such as books, games, puzzles or other activities.

Taufer encouraged residents to follow Sevier County Emergency Management on social media as well as Utah Fire Info for more information and updates.