SOUTH BAY FIRE DISTRICT 8

STORM ALERTS - December 17, 2025

 

Last night’s heavy rain and strong winds caused widespread power outages across our service area, with Island, Pierce, Skagit and Thurston counties hardest hit. Early morning reports from field crews are of a significant amount of damage, including wires down and whole trees that have uprooted.   We currently have 18 substations and 31 transmission lines offline. 

Weather conditions are expected to improve today, and our response teams will be out in full force to assess damage and begin repairs as it is safe to do so. We’ve brought in additional crews from outside our region and are working around the clock to restore service as quickly and safely as possible. 

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When is my power coming back on?   

We know that you need to make plans. To provide accurate restoration times, we need to assess the extent of the damage and what repairs need to be made. We start damage assessment as soon as it's safe for our teams to be in the field. We will set estimated restoration times once we have an initial assessment of damage. These restoration times are usually at a county level and will be posted on pse.com/alerts. 

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Concerns with this storm are road closures, continued flooding, and saturated and unstable ground. This could make it hard for crews to access areas for damage assessment. We will post updates at the link above.  

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Safety first:      

As we work to safely restore your power, please follow these tips to keep your home and business safe.   

• Assume all wires on the ground are energized. Never touch or go within 35 feet of any wire on the ground. Call PSE at 1-888-225-5773 or 911 to report any wire on the ground.  

• If you’re using portable heaters, keep them away from furniture, draperies, and other flammable materials.     

• Always use flashlights instead of candles.     

• Be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning:       

o    Never install or use a generator indoors or in enclosed or partially enclosed areas, even those that are ventilated. When using your generator outdoors during a power outage, avoid placing it near windows, doors and vents. More generator safety tips: pse.com/en/pages/generator-safety       

o    Never use a natural gas range for heating, or charcoal as an indoor heating or cooking source.      

o    Additional carbon monoxide safety information: pse.com/en/pages/carbon-monoxide        

• Never charge your phone or other devices in a running vehicle with the garage door closed.      

• Make sure that natural gas appliances are maintained and operated according to manufacturer recommendations.