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A partially melted tire hangs on a tree near Paradise, Kansas. The surrounding land was scorched by a wildfire in December 2021 (Allison Kite\/Missouri Independent).<\/p>\n
In the first 10 months of 2025, almost 110,000 acres across Missouri were burned by more than 2,700 wildfires.<\/p>\n
More than 9,300 of those acres were burned by wildfires caused by power lines.<\/p>\n
In May 2025, the Missouri Public Service Commission \u2014 which regulates the state\u2019s utility companies \u2014 asked utilities to detail their wildfire mitigation plans.<\/p>\n
The commission hopes to develop best practices for utilities to reduce the risk of wildfires and protect the communities they serve.<\/p>\n
The request reflects Missouri\u2019s changing environment, with drought and other factors driving an increase in wildfire risk statewide. Utilities\u2019 responses highlight a patchwork approach, with some providers well into implementing plans and others still drafting them.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n \t<\/p>\n In the United States, wildfire is often considered a mostly western phenomenon. But Missouri is no stranger to fire \u2014 historically, nearly all of the state burned on a regular basis<\/a>, according to LandFire, a federal fire management data program.<\/p>\n Before Europeans arrived, some parts of the state burned as often as every two years, and almost all parts of the state burned at least every 20 years, according to federal data.<\/p>\n That means the plants and animals in Missouri\u2019s ecosystems evolved around wildfire, with some becoming dependent on it for renewal and survival, according to Andrew Dressel<\/a>, vice president of energy practice at Charles River Associates, a consulting firm that works with utilities on risk mitigation.<\/p>\n Today, wildfires primarily burn in the state\u2019s southern forests, while its northern grasslands burn far less than they did historically.<\/p>\n Firefighting and suppression have kept much of Missouri from burning as often as it once did. The FEMA National Risk Index<\/a> characterizes most of Missouri as being at \u201crelatively low\u201d or \u201cvery low\u201d risk of wildfire, a point that Ameren and Evergy \u2014 the state\u2019s largest utilities \u2014 noted in their responses to the Public Service Commission.<\/p>\n But Missouri State Climatologist Zach Leasor said changing climate conditions are providing more fuel for fire.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of the trends we\u2019re seeing with drought point to an increased wildfire risk here in Missouri,\u201d Leasor said. \u201cWe might not see longer droughts \u2026 but we\u2019re going to see short, intense droughts that are then punctuated by these extreme precipitation events.\u201d<\/p>\n Leasor said these conditions exacerbate fire risk because they dry out new growth, creating more fuel.<\/p>\n \u201cUsually, what we see as the best mix for a fire year would be healthy vegetation early so you build up a lot of biological mass, and then it dries down, and now you\u2019ve got all these fuels here,\u201d Leasor said. \u201cThat\u2019s the worst-case scenario when you think about fire risk, especially in a state like Missouri.\u201d<\/p>\n Other climate conditions, like temperature, can also play a role, he said, because warmer overnight lows have extended the growing season, pushing back winter conditions that suppress fires. That is particularly problematic because fall is Missouri\u2019s peak fire season, when lower humidity and higher winds increase fire risk.<\/p>\n While Missouri hasn\u2019t yet seen the massive blazes affecting nearby states, the potential is there, according to Michael Stambaugh, a professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia and the chair of the Oak Woodlands & Forests Fire Consortium.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThere have been half-a-million-acre fires recently in Kansas and Oklahoma. \u2026 We haven\u2019t seen the big fires yet, but I think it\u2019s just a matter of time,\u201d Stambaugh said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe conditions are more or less the same (in Missouri) as you see in Kansas and Oklahoma,\u201d he added. \u201cWe have the same fuels, we have the same kinds of landscapes, more or less very similar weather patterns. A lot of those ignitions are accidental, so I think it\u2019s just a matter of time.\u201d<\/p>\n Stambaugh said there is precedent for these kinds of fires in Missouri, with fires several hundred years ago burning up to 1 million acres.<\/p>\n \u201cEven though we\u2019re not seeing a significant increase in the number of fires and area burned, it doesn\u2019t mean the potential hasn\u2019t changed, or isn\u2019t there, for large events to happen,\u201d he said, adding that even if conditions make fire risk worse, the scope of that risk can be hard to fully understand until fires actually start.<\/p>\n The fact that Missouri hasn\u2019t yet seen a significant increase in wildfires makes the PSC\u2019s inquiry all the more \u201cproactive,\u201d according to Andrew Dressel, a consultant who works with utilities on risk mitigation.<\/p>\n \u201cMissouri is not immune from wildfire risk, so it\u2019s good to be out ahead of this,\u201d he said, adding that states across the country have seen an increase in the risk of wildfires, including utility-related fires.<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n \t<\/p>\n \u201cThis became a big issue really in the 2010s, when it stopped being a southern California problem \u2014\u00a0then it was all of California. There were a number of fires \u2026 culminating in the 2018 Camp fire,\u201d Dressel said. \u201cThat fire started from a transmission line \u2026 that broke in a remote section of northeastern California and, hours later, burned down much of the town of Paradise and subsequently led to the bankruptcy of PG&E.\u201d<\/p>\n Similar disasters followed, including Oregon\u2019s Labor Day fires in 2020, the 2021-2022 Marshall fire in Colorado and the Lahaina fire in Maui in 2023.<\/p>\n Dressel said the Marshall and Lahaina fires catalyzed conversations about the role of utilities in preventing wildfires, as \u201cthat\u2019s when people really started focusing in on why the power was even still on in those situations.\u201d<\/p>\n The 2018 Camp fire and others have shown the potential for utility-related wildfires to destroy entire towns and claim lives. They\u2019ve also demonstrated that when utility infrastructure causes or exacerbates a wildfire, the cost can be high enough to destabilize \u2014 if not bankrupt \u2014 a company, Dressel said.<\/p>\n That means higher costs for customers, but also higher costs for the insurance companies that work with utilities. The increase in utility-related wildfires has \u201cskyrocketed\u201d insurance costs for utility companies, Dressel said, which puts pressure on companies to develop wildfire mitigation plans.<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n \t<\/p>\n In its response to the commission, Ameren said it has wildfire liability insurance. While a wildfire mitigation plan was not required to access coverage<\/a>, it said \u201cit is helpful in securing coverage and explaining to underwriters what mitigations are being taken.\u201d<\/p>\n Evergy also reported that its excess liability policy \u2014 which includes wildfire coverage \u2014 did not require it to have a plan in place<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, which represents co-op utilities across the state, told the commission<\/a> that \u201ca well-structured plan helps reduce liability exposure\u201d but did not elaborate further.<\/p>\n Wildfire mitigation plans outline strategies for reducing the risk of wildfire. They include plans for preventing equipment from starting fires and plans for protecting customers and equipment if a wildfire is already burning through an area, Dressel said.<\/p>\n Most electric utilities told the commission they \u201chave some semblance of a plan,\u201d but a few had no plan, Dressel said, adding that he had not reviewed any utilities\u2019 full plans, only their responses to the PSC.<\/p>\n Ameren told the commission it had a plan in place but later described it as being \u201cin its early development stage.\u201d Evergy is developing its wildfire mitigation plans, but told the commission it expects to have a draft complete by the end of 2025.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, electric cooperatives across the state are in different stages of developing and implementing their plans, according to the cooperative association\u2019s responses.<\/p>\n In addition to asking whether utilities had plans in place, the commission requested information about aspects of those plans, including infrastructure maintenance, risk assessment, forecasting and emergency communication.<\/p>\n Ameren, Evergy and the cooperatives all reported regularly inspecting and managing equipment and nearby vegetation. Asked about efforts to upgrade infrastructure, Ameren and Evergy told the commission they were working on replacing old conductors and installing new, more fire-resistant poles.<\/p>\n Dressel said \u201csystem hardening\u201d \u2014 upgrades to infrastructure to improve resilience \u2014\u00a0is often considered after other mitigation strategies \u201cbecause you want to see what you can do at a lower cost first.\u201d<\/p>\n Other, cheaper approaches could be prioritized, like changing how the grid itself responds to potential problems. But Dressel said that section \u201cwas a little light on a lot of the responses.\u201d<\/p>\n Power lines have sensors that detect when a tree branch has fallen on a line, prompting the system to shut off power to that line temporarily. Evergy spokesperson Courtney Lewis told The Beacon in an email that Evergy makes those sensors more sensitive during Red Flag Warning days \u201cso the grid is faster to react to potential problems.\u201d<\/p>\n But Dressel said that approach has its limitations if the power starts flowing again moments later. If there\u2019s a branch sitting on the line when that happens, \u201cthen you have a fire,\u201d Dressel said.<\/p>\n To prevent this, during high fire conditions, utilities could disable the technology that automatically reopens the line. But that further impacts reliability, as power would be shut off until a crew could come in person to turn it back on, Dressel said.<\/p>\n In its request, the commission also asked utilities about their ability to model different weather scenarios to help with planning and disaster preparedness.<\/p>\n Ameren told the commission it relies on the National Weather Service\u2019s fire risk alerts but doesn\u2019t model weather conditions. Evergy reported it currently \u201caccesses state resources for this type of work.\u201d Both said they are reviewing available products.<\/p>\n While utilities\u2019 answers covered much of what would be needed for effective mitigation plans, Dressel said \u201cthere were several that don\u2019t have great elements regarding coordination with public safety agencies and other utilities. They don\u2019t necessarily have a plan to reach out to other critical infrastructure operators.\u201d<\/p>\n Ameren told the commission it has not integrated its mitigation plan into state or local emergency plans, but it has instructed employees to call 911 in the event of a wildfire. Evergy, meanwhile, reported that although the focus hasn\u2019t been on wildfires, it has built \u201cstrong working relationships\u201d with state and local officials and first responders regarding emergency planning and communications.<\/p>\n Both Ameren and Evergy told the commission they participate in mutual assistance plans and work with other utilities to share best practices and provide support in the event of an emergency. However, Ameren added that it does not have \u201ca specific procedure for information sharing\u201d beyond planned work outage notifications.<\/p>\n The commission also asked utilities about their plans for public safety power shutoffs, or PSPS, which involves preemptively cutting off power during an emergency to prevent energized power lines from exacerbating a fire.<\/p>\n Neither Evergy nor Ameren currently has a PSPS policy in place, but both told the commission they are exploring developing one. In its report, Ameren described such a policy as a \u201cmitigation measure of last resort.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMost seem to not want to do this. That\u2019s common,\u201d Dressel said. \u201cBut our view is that everyone should have PSPS in their plan somewhere. When conditions devolve to some really raging windstorm in very dry conditions, no one wants to shut the power off \u2014 because the primary objective of power companies is to deliver power \u2014 but sometimes, it\u2019s the best decision you can make.\u201d<\/p>\n Having a PSPS plan in place is necessary to ensure that, in the event of an emergency, utilities understand how cutting power will impact the community, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIs there critical infrastructure on that line? Is it going to affect your ability to pump water? Are you going to cut off the emergency response dispatch center? Are there medical needs customers there? Have you communicated with them?\u201d Dressel said. \u201cThere has to be a really detailed communication strategy that involves all the stakeholders.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked whether there were constraints on its ability to develop and implement mitigation plans, Evergy said it is considering potential constraints, including \u201cstakeholder recognition of this as a risk.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked by The Beacon what stakeholder feedback has looked like thus far, Lewis wrote in an email: \u201cWe have found broad support among policymakers in Missouri and Kansas for assessing wildfire risk and creating a mitigation plan through a collaborative effort.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n \t<\/p>\n With regulators in Missouri and across the country taking notice of growing wildfire risk, regulations could very well be coming, Dressel said.<\/p>\n Missouri \u201chad done some homework before asking about wildfire mitigation plans,\u201d he said. \u201cIt looks like they did look at what other states are doing that have dealt with this more. \u2026 It seems like they weren\u2019t just doing this on a whim.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith what we\u2019ve seen elsewhere, I would not be surprised if they move forward with a requirement that Missouri utilities have a wildfire mitigation plan,\u201d he added. \u201cBecause most of (the utilities) have something in flight, it shouldn\u2019t be a major lift.\u201d<\/p>\n Dressel said the PSC\u2019s detailed request \u2014 covering aspects of wildfire mitigation and preparedness \u2014 could suggest that, beyond requiring a mitigation plan, the commission could require utilities to have plans for individual pieces, such as emergency communications or PSPS.<\/p>\n Even if the commission opts to recommend best practices rather than require them, progress has been made, Dressel said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether the PSC moves forward or not, I think just asking these questions has probably spurred most of the utilities to action,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n This article<\/a> first appeared on Beacon: Missouri<\/a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License<\/a>. A partially melted tire hangs on a tree near Paradise, Kansas. The surrounding land was scorched by a wildfire in December 2021 (Allison Kite\/Missouri Independent). In the first 10 months of 2025, almost 110,000 acres across Missouri were burned by more than 2,700 wildfires. More than 9,300 of those acres were burned by wildfires caused…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7649,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nNo stranger to fire<\/h4>\n
\nWildfire Risk<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\nA national challenge<\/h4>\n
Utilities\u2019 plans<\/h4>\n
What\u2019s next?<\/h4>\n
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