Central Texas Electric Cooperative (CTEC) crews started their day Monday, Dec. 30, at 4:30 a.m., when dense fog created electrical pole fires in the Harper area.

Over 1,000 residents in Gillespie County were without power when 13 poles caught on fire, which affected 1,700 electrical meters, according to CTEC.

“Prolonged dry periods and drought conditions create dirt build-up on the pole insulators that the conductor lays on,” said Atanacio Hinojosa, chief executive officer of CTEC. “With foggy and humid days like this morning, the water from the moisture bonds with the dirt, creating a path for the electricity to track from the electric line to the wooden electric pole. Electric arcing creates a pole fire at the top of the pole, causing outages.”

Standby crews from CTEC responded immediately to the fires and additional crews were dispatched to assist with repairs once an assessment was made.

“Dense fog made it challenging for our crews,” Hinojosa said. “Outages lasted several hours while crews worked on installing new poles, insulators and cross arms.”

Planning for cold weather

Central Texas Electric Cooperative has evaluated the electric grid and put contingency plans in place in preparation of the extreme cold weather expected this week, according to Hinojosa.

“Since precipitation is expected to be limited, the biggest concern is high electrical demand placed on the system from conventional heating systems,” he said. “Our system operations personnel will be monitoring electrical demand very closely. We’ll have crews available and standing by to respond to outages.”

Line crews from CTEC prepare throughout the year to respond to any issue affecting the distribution system. Personnel go through extensive training to learn how to replace poles, insulators, crossarms and any other material that is damaged or needs to be repaired and/or replaced, according to CTEC.

All crews have extra material stocked in their vehicles, Hinojosa said. The co-op has also updated its Emergency Operations Plan that is ready to implement, if needed.

CTEC tips for preparing for cold weather: Assemble an emergency kit with essential supplies; Protect sensitive electronics with surge protectors; Charge devices and power banks; Fill vehicles with gas and gather fuel for generators; Stock groceries ahead of time and create an evacuation plan, if needed.

Reporting an Outage: The easiest way to report outages is through the CTEC SmartHub app or by calling 1-800-900-2832.