OSU researchers tackling wildfire risks linked to electrical infrastructure

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Media Contact: Desa James | Communications Coordinator | 405-744-2669 | desa.james@okstate.edu

The growing risk of wildfires associated with electrical infrastructure has become a major national concern.

Power lines are consistently identified as significant contributors to wildfire incidents. To manage this risk effectively, it is crucial to systematically understand the mechanisms by which electrical infrastructure ignites wildfires. 

Assistant professor Hamid Nazaripouya of Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology has recently been funded by NASA for his project aiming to advance power grid and pre-fire situational awareness by integrating fire-ignition electrical fault data with high-resolution Earth observations of ecological and biophysical factors.  

The project intends to develop an operational approach for assessing the risk of wildfires caused by electrical infrastructure and updating wildfire danger ratings in near-real time. There will be three main focuses for the project: investigation of electrical fault ignition probability, enhanced wildland fire potential mapping and field demonstration of enhanced wildfire risk mapping.  

One of the project's innovations involves combining experimental fire ignition tests with a medium-voltage test rig connected to a power-hardware-in-the-loop grid emulator. The team will analyze the dynamics and propagation patterns of ignition and non-ignition electrical fault signatures across various electrical nodes, creating a comprehensive database. This database will then be used to estimate ignition probabilities using machine learning techniques. 

Existing fuel models will be refined by incorporating fine spatial and temporal resolution multispectral data from PlanetScope CubeSats (small satellites). Additionally, new AI-based fire danger indices will be developed, integrating spatial data on fuel types and high-resolution characteristics like vegetation biomass and greenness. This will improve the precision needed for accurate risk assessment of electrical wildfires.  

Collaborating with utility companies and forest services, the project will contribute to the NASA FireSense field campaign mission, advancing wildfire risk mapping through operational field demonstrations. 

Collaboration will play a key role in the project through the invaluable support and specialized knowledge that each investigator and stakeholder including electric utilities, forestry services, fire departments, fire management agencies and an insurance company will bring.

“Our team possesses a wide range of expertise across various fields, including power system fault analysis, fire experimentation, ecology and wildfire modeling, wildland fire management, earth science and remote sensing, risk assessment, and emergency and protective services,” Dr. Nazaripouya said. 

Key partners include Oklahoma Forestry Services, Oklahoma Electric Cooperative and insurance company HAI Group. Additionally, the project benefits from a network of collaborators, which includes Southern California Edison, the USDA Forest Service, CAL FIRE, Hutto Fire Rescue, Rogers Fire Department, CAL FIRE Local 2881, and the International Fire Service Training Association. All of whom, Nazaripouya notes, will lead to the project’s success.  

The project stands to make a substantial impact. According to Nazaripouya, the impact is fourfold: 

• Enhanced response efficiency and speed: By delivering timely information on emerging threats, the project will enable first responders to act more swiftly and effectively. This proactive approach can prevent ignition events from occurring or spreading, ultimately saving lives, minimizing damage and reducing economic losses. 
• Improved risk assessment: The technology developed will incorporate detailed information on ignition probability caused by power lines into existing wildfire risk assessment tools, leading to more accurate and realistic wildfire risk calculation. This will help identify and address potential threats more effectively. 
• Optimized planning and resource allocation: The project will enhance wildfire risk analysis through improved detail and resolution, including electric fault ignition probability data and near-real-time risk assessment. This will support better planning and resource allocation, resulting in more effective risk mitigation strategies. 
• Advancements in interdisciplinary fields: The project's interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach will drive significant advances in power system fault analysis, situational awareness and resilience in power systems, fire behavior modeling, and remote sensing, leading to transformative improvements across these fields. 

Nazaripouya expressed his deepest gratitude to all the co-investigators involved in the project. 

“A special thanks to Dr. Haejun Park from the Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology department, whose expertise in fire engineering has been instrumental to our work," Nazaripouya said. "I also want to thank Dr. Hamed Gholizadeh from the Department of Geography, whose insights into Earth sciences and remote sensing have added a critical dimension to our research, and Dr. Jia Yang from the Department of Natural Resource Ecology & Management, whose knowledge in wildfire modeling and ecology has enriched our understanding of environmental impacts. 

“I am also deeply grateful to Dr. Reginald Freeman, chief risk officer at HAI Group Inc. for lending his extensive risk management expertise, which has been invaluable in navigating the complexities of our project. Special thanks to Drew Daily, duty fire management chief with Oklahoma Forestry Services, for his hands-on experience in fire management and his practical contributions to our discussions, and to Nick Shumaker, manager of system engineering at Oklahoma Electric Cooperative, whose technical knowledge on electric power systems has enhanced our efforts. 

“Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the incredible support of our collaborators from Southern California Edison, the USDA Forest Service, CAL FIRE, Hutto Fire Rescue, Rogers Fire Department, CAL FIRE Local 2881 and IFSTA. Their contributions and partnerships have been crucial in advancing our shared goals, and I look forward to continued collaboration as we move forward.” 

Learn more about Nazaripouya’s research here.