Update on Trico Electric Cooperative’s Facilities Damaged by the Bighorn Fire and Notice of Planned Outage

July 31, 2020

Trico has been working to repair its power line that runs up the West slope of Mt. Lemmon (West Line) which was damaged by the Bighorn Fire. This line is used to provide power to Mt. Lemmon. Trico has been serving Members on Mt. Lemmon using our backup generator located near the Mt. Lemmon Fire Department. The repairs to the West Line are anticipated to be completed this weekend, reconnecting the normal source of power to Mt. Lemmon.

There will be a brief outage of approximately one hour, while power is transferred from the backup generator to the repaired line. To help our Members plan for this brief outage, Trico has set two possible windows for the planned outage. Weather and system permitting, Trico plans to transfer from the generator to the repaired line between 8 am and 9 am on Saturday, August 1. In the event we are unable to make the transition during this time, we plan to complete the work on Sunday, August 2 between 8 am and 9 am. Members should expect an outage to occur during one of these windows.

Repair work will continue on the line that runs down the East slope of Mt. Lemmon (East Line). That work will not impact service to Summerhaven or the rest of the Mount Lemmon community. We anticipate that, weather permitting, the work on the East Line will take approximately two to three more weeks to complete based on the visible damage to the line. Work will include the use of a helicopter to deliver poles and materials to the worksites. The Forest is closed, so please stay out of the area, and please do not fly drones in the area because it can interfere with the helicopter performing work.

We understand that this has been a very stressful time for all of you, and we appreciate your patience and support as we work to repair our facilities damaged by the fire.

Please continue to look to Trico’s website (www.trico.coop) and its social media accounts for updates. If you experience any issues or have any questions, please contact Trico Dispatch at 520-744-2944.