Pole top fires
Pole top fires can cause power outages and pose a bushfire risk in Western Australia.
Understanding pole top fires and how we prevent them
Pole top fires can cause power outages and pose a bushfire risk in Western Australia. They happen during light rain or humid conditions when dust, salt, and pollution create a conductive path on insulators, leading to electrical arcing and, in some cases, fire. While these events are more common in certain weather conditions, we have a range of preventative programs in place to reduce the risk and improve network resilience.
What causes pole top fires?
Pole top fires occur when light rain or humidity mixes with built-up dust, salt, and pollution on power pole insulators. This can create a conductive path for electricity, leading to arcing that heats metal fixtures and ignites pole infrastructure.
While heavy rain can wash away contaminants, light mist or drizzle provides just enough moisture to activate conductive tracking, increasing the risk of fire.
Key environmental factors include:
- Dry, dusty conditions followed by humidity or light rain
- Salt accumulation in coastal areas
- Agricultural dust and pollution in rural zones
How pole top fires impact the network and community
When a pole top fire occurs, it can lead to network outages, safety risks, and bushfire hazards. The immediate impacts include:
- Power outages: Insulator damage and pole fires can interrupt electricity supply.
- Safety concerns: Electrical faults may cause poles to catch fire or wires to fall.
- Bushfire risk: Fires from electrical infrastructure can spread in dry conditions.
Western Power’s crews respond rapidly to make the area safe and restore power as quickly as possible.
What is our process to repair and restore power?
We first identify and assess hazards, making the area safe before any repairs begin. During widespread incidents, you may see our crews attend a site, secure the area, and move on—this ensures immediate risks are managed before we begin restoration work.
Next, we actively manage the network during fault conditions to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. This starts with isolating the fault to prevent further damage, followed by backfeeding power where possible to get homes and businesses back on sooner. We consider a range of factors when prioritising works and power distribution to minimise the impact on the community including locations with essential services, health facilities and aged care.
At the same time, we assess the damage, plan repairs, and coordinate logistics—transporting poles and equipment, securing permits, and dispatching crews.
In some cases, such as weather conditions that lead to pole top fires (moist air, light rain), we may need to wait for conditions to ease before re-energising and backfeeding to avoid further faults. Every decision is made with safety and long-term reliability in mind.
Here are some of the steps we take to repair and restore power after an incident.
Safety first
1
We identify any hazards and make them safe.
Repair work starts
2
This could include replacing poles, pole-top cross-arms, or stringing new powerlines.
Start restoring power
3
After assets are repaired, we will start restoring power where safe to do so.
Bulk customers restored
4
If we can fix a fault that will connect 5,000 customers, we will do this first.
How we prevent and manage pole top fires
Preventing pole top fires is a key part of our asset management strategy. We are continually working to improve network resilience with about $1 billion invested annually in network upgrades and maintenance to manage safety, reliability, and environmental risks. We use a mix of proactive maintenance, upgrades, and technology to minimise the risk.
Regular insulator washing and siliconing
Washing removes built-up dust and pollution, while applying a silicone coating adds an extra layer of protection, preventing conductive tracking.
- In regional areas, helicopters are used to wash and apply silicone to insulators on poles across vast or hard-to-reach areas.
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- In built-up areas, Elevated Work Platforms (EWPs) are used to apply silicone to insulators with precision.
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This targeted approach ensures effective maintenance while minimising disruption to the network.
We are replacing thousands of older glass and ceramic insulators with silicone-based insulators, which are more resistant to contamination. All high-risk areas are being prioritised, with completion targeted by 2027.
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Predictive modelling and risk-based maintenance
Using advanced data modelling, inspections, and drone technology, we can identify areas most at risk and take preventative action before pole-top fires occur. We have also successfully trialled and now started using Early Fault Detection (EFD) devices that monitor current leakage and (based on an algorithm) gives us a warning, allowing us to remediate the risk before a pole-top fire can occur.
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Rapid response and agency co-operation
When pole top fires do occur, we deploy crews strategically to respond quickly and safely. Network control work closely with Operational Maintenance to de-energize poles that are burning to allow DFES to extinguish the fire.
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Undergrounding as a solution
Underground power is one solution to reducing the risk of pole top fires. By placing power lines underground, they are less exposed to environmental factors like dust, salt, and light rain that contribute to pole top fires.
In the Perth metropolitan area, 70% of the network is already undergrounded (measured by line kilometres). This has been a decades-long effort, working together with the State Government, local councils, and developers, to transition from overhead to underground power where it makes sense to do so.
While undergrounding provides benefits in certain areas, terrain and cost factors limit where it can be applied. In regional and remote areas, rocky landscapes, high water tables, and vast distances make undergrounding technically complex and prohibitively expensive. In many locations, maintaining and upgrading overhead infrastructure remains the most practical and cost-effective solution for a reliable and resilient network.
We continue to assess undergrounding opportunities, balancing safety, cost, and technical feasibility to ensure the best long-term outcomes for communities across the network.
What to do if a pole top fire causes an outage
If you experience a power outage that may be caused by a pole top fire:
- Stay clear of fallen power lines and damaged poles
- Report hazards immediately to Western Power on 13 13 51
- Check our outage map for updates on restoration times
We appreciate your patience as our crews work to restore power safely.
FAQs
Pole top fires can occur in any area where dust and pollution accumulate on insulators, but WA’s combination of dry conditions, coastal salt and sea breezes, and agricultural activity makes them more common.
Steel and concrete poles require complex and expensive earthing systems, which makes them less viable across large areas of WA. Wood poles remain the most efficient option for local conditions.
While maintenance programs significantly reduce risk, pole top fires cannot be entirely eliminated due to environmental conditions. The focus is on minimising impact through strategic prevention and response.
Regions most prone to pole top fires include:
- Coastal areas (salt accumulation)
- Farming regions (agricultural dust)
- Bushfire-prone zones (high-risk fire areas)
Pole top fires can occur when hot, dry, and windy weather is followed by a cool, misty change. Humidity and light rain mix with built-up dust and pollution on insulators, creating a conductive path that allows electricity to arc. Over time, this can heat metal fixtures and, in some cases, ignite fires.
We actively reduce the risk of pole top fires through regular washing and siliconing of insulators, preventing dust buildup, as well as insulator replacements in high-risk areas. Given the size of the network and with 860,000 poles in the system, a targeted, risk-based approach ensures mitigation efforts are focused where they’re needed most.