Arizona Public Service (APS) announced on Apr. 22 that it will shut off power at 9 a.m. to about 6,000 customers in high fire-risk communities near Flagstaff and an additional 150 customers around Grand Canyon National Park, excluding Grand Canyon Village, due to extreme wildfire risk. The move is intended to prevent electrical equipment from starting or contributing to wildfires as strong winds up to nearly 60 miles per hour are forecasted.
The decision comes as the National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for northeastern Arizona, with APS meteorologists and fire mitigation specialists closely monitoring the situation. APS said that power could be out for approximately 12-24 hours, but restoration times may vary depending on weather conditions and any damage caused to infrastructure.
Customers affected by the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) have been directly notified by APS. Impacted communities include Doney Park, Timberline, Fernwood, Mormon Lake, Cosnino, Sunset Crater, Walnut Canyon, Valle, and certain locations near Grand Canyon National Park. During the outage period, residents can access resources such as charging stations and water at Flagstaff’s Murdoch Community Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to APS guidance.
APS recommends customers monitor its Outage Map for updates and keep contact information current through their aps.com account or customer care center. Those relying on life-supporting medical equipment are urged to register with APS’s Medical Care program for support during outages.
The company said PSPS is one of several tools used in its year-round wildfire mitigation efforts which also include inspecting over 38,000 miles of powerlines and clearing brush from electrical equipment. “APS works year-round to reduce wildfire risk,” according to the official website.
Arizona Public Service delivers electricity along with related services such as service setup and transfer assistance programs according to the official website. It serves about 1.4 million customers across Arizona—including border towns as well as rural and urban areas—operating under a regulated utility structure according to the official website. Assistance programs like the Energy Support Program offer discounts based on income levels according to the official website.
