Basin Electric crews restore transmission line after fire damage

A lightning strike northeast of Sheridan, Wyoming, ignited the Badger Creek wildfire, which rapidly spread north and across Basin Electric’s Dry Fork-Tongue River 230-kV transmission line. The fire crossed the line damaging 20 structures. Of those structures, two were completely destroyed and required full replacement, while the other structures sustained only minor surface damage. 

The fire also reached the Tongue River-Decker 230-kV line, burning across five structures, though the damage in this area was limited to surface scorching. 

The Dry Fork-Tongue River 230-kV transmission line was taken out of service on Thursday, July 25, and Basin Electric’s Transmission System Maintenance (TSM) team worked through the weekend to restore the line to service. Thanks to their efforts, the line was back in service by Sunday, July 28. 

“Our crews were able to respond quickly since they were staying in Sheridan, Wyoming, performing live line maintenance that week,” Vince Smith, TSM Transmission Line Superintendent, said. “They arrived while the fire was still active and directed the firefighting teams to extinguish the flames at the affected structures. Their quick actions prevented the complete failure of several structures, significantly aiding the restoration process.” 

Crews were deployed from Gillette, Wyoming; Stegall, Nebraska; and Gettysburg, South Dakota, with support from a mechanic/operator based in Gillette. 

Fortunately, no customers or power generation were impacted by the outage on the 230-kV line. Detailed pole inspections and testing are scheduled later this year in partnership with Osmose to ensure the long-term integrity of the transmission structures.