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## WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN
Revised June 20, 2023
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## TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Utility Overview and Context 1
A. Utility Description and Context Setting Table 1
B. Statutory Cross-Reference Table 3
C. Process for Utility Adoption and Submittal of Annual WMP and Opportunities for Public Comment 5
D. Description of Where WMP Information Can be Found on Utility Website 5
E. Purpose of the Wildfire Mitigation Plan 5
F. Organization of the Wildfire Mitigation Plan 6
II. Objectives of the Wildfire Mitigation Plan 6
III. Roles and Responsibilities 7
A. Utility Governance Structure 7
B. Wildfire Prevention 8
C. Wildfire Response and Recovery 8
D. Standardized Emergency Management System 9
IV. Wildfire Risks and Drivers Associated with Design, Construction, Operation, and Maintenance 11
A. Particular Risks and Risk Drivers Associated with Topographic & Climatological Risk Factors 11
B. Enterprise-Wide Safety Risks 11
V. Wildfire Preventative Strategies 14
A. Low Fire Threat District 14
B. Design and Construction Standards 14
C. Vegetation Management 15
D. Inspections 15
E. Reclosing Policy 15
F. De-Energization 15
G. Community Outreach and Public Awareness 15
VI. Restoration of Service 15
VII. Plan Evaluation 17
A. Metrics and Assumptions for Measuring Plan Performance 17
B. Impact of Metrics on Plan 18
C. Monitoring and Auditing the Plan 18
D. Identifying and Correcting Deficiencies in the Plan 18
E. Monitoring the Effects of Inspections 18
VIII. Public and Professional Feedback 19
A. CMUA – Wildfire Preparedness, Response and Recovery Working Group 19
B. Public Input Process 19
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### A. Utility Description and Context Setting Table
Victorville Municipal Utility Services is only a distributor and does not own or operate any generating plants. The service area for Victorville Municipal Utility Services only includes the Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA) and the Foxborough Industrial Park. VMUS only serves commercial and industrial customers. Southern California Edison serves all of the residents of the City of Victorville and any commercial / industrial customer not located within the VMUS territory.
Victorville Municipal Utility Services' (VMUS) overarching goal is to provide safe, reliable, and economic electric service to its service territories. In order to meet this goal, Victorville Municipal Utility Services constructs, maintains, and operates its electrical lines and equipment in a manner that minimizes the risk of catastrophic wildfire posed by its electrical lines and equipment.
| Utility Name | Victorville Municipal Utility Services (VMUS) |
| Service Territory Size | 6 square miles |
| Owned Assets | ☐ Transmission ☒ Distribution ☐ Generation |
| Number of Customers Served | 40_ customer accounts |
| Population Within Service Territory | N/A people |
| Customer Class Makeup | Number of Accounts | Share of Total Load (MWh) |
| 0% Residential;\n0% Government;\n0% Agricultural;\n0% Small/Medium Business;\n100% Commercial/Industrial | 0% Residential;\n0% Government;\n0% Agricultural;\n0% Small/Medium Business;\n100% Commercial/Industrial |
| Service Territory Location/Topography1 | 0% Agriculture\n0% Barren/Other\n0% Conifer Forest\n0% Conifer Woodland\n99% Desert\n0% Hardwood Forest\n0% Hardwood Woodland\n0% Herbaceous\n0% Shrub\n1% Urban\n0% Water |
| Service Territory | 0% Wildland Urban Interface;\n0% Wildland Urban Intermix; |
1 This data shall be based on the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, California Multi-Source Vegetation Layer Map, depicting WHR13 Types (Wildlife Habitat Relationship classes grouped into 13 major land cover types) available at: https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=b7ec5d68d8114b1fb2bfbf4665989eb3.
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| Wildland Urban Interface2\n(based on total area) | |
| Percent of Service Territory in CPUC High Fire Threat Districts (based on total area) | ☒Includes maps\nTier 2: 0%\nTier 3: 0% |
| Prevailing Wind Directions & Speeds by Season | ☒ Includes maps\nWinter (Dec., Jan., and Feb.): Wind direction is North/North East with an average speed of 4.3K or 4.95 MPH.\nSpring (Mar., April, and May): Wind direction is North/North East with an average speed of 6K or 6.9 MPH.\nSummer (June, July, and Aug.): Wind direction is North/North East with an average speed of 5.3K or 6.1 MPH.\nFall (Sept., Oct., and Nov.): Wind direction is North/North East with an average speed of 4.3K or 4.95 MPH. |
| Miles of Owned Lines Underground and/or Overhead | Overhead Dist.: 0.06 miles\nOverhead Trans.: 0 miles\nUnderground Dist.: 25.2 miles\nUnderground Trans.: 0 miles |
| Explanatory Note 1 – Measurements in Circuit Miles. |
| Explanatory Note 2 – VMUS owns the electrical infrastructure that is all underground and services industrial and commercial customers only. |
| Percent of Owned Lines in CPUC High Fire Threat Districts | Overhead Distribution Lines as % of Total Distribution System (Inside and Outside Service Territory) |
| Tier 2: 0%\nTier 3: 0% |
| Overhead Transmission Lines as % of Total Transmission System (Inside and Outside Service Territory) |
| Tier 2: 0%\nTier 3: 0% |
| Customers have ever lost service due to an IOU PSPS event? | ☐ Yes ☒ No |
| Have customers ever been notified of a potential loss of service to due to a forecasted IOU PSPS event? | ☐ Yes ☒ No |
| Has developed protocols to pre-emptively shut off electricity in response to elevated wildfire risks? | ☐ Yes ☒ No |
2 This data shall be based on the definitions and maps maintained by the United States Department of Agriculture, as most recently assembled in The 2010 Wildland-Urban Interface of the Conterminous United States, available at https://www.fs.fed.us/nrs/pubs/rmap/rmap_nrs8.pdf.
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| Requirement | Statutory Language | Location in WMP |
| Persons Responsible | PUC § 8387(b)(2)(A): An accounting of the responsibilities of persons responsible for executing the plan. | Section 3-B Page 8 |
| Objectives of the Plan | PUC § 8387(b)(2)(B): The objectives of the wildfire mitigation plan. | Section 2 Page: 6 |
| Preventive Strategies | PUC § 8387(b)(2)(C): A description of the preventive strategies and programs to be adopted by the local publicly owned electric utility or electrical cooperative to minimize the risk of its electrical lines and equipment causing catastrophic wildfires, including consideration of dynamic climate change risks. | Section 5 Page 14 |
| Evaluation Metrics | PUC § 8387(b)(2)(D): A description of the metrics the local publicly owned electric utility or electrical cooperative plans to use to evaluate the wildfire mitigation plan’s performance and the assumptions that underlie the use of those metrics. | Section 7-A Page 17 |
| Impact of Metrics | PUC § 8387(b)(2)(E): A discussion of how the application of previously identified metrics to previous wildfire mitigation plan performances has informed the wildfire mitigation plan. | Section 7-B Page 18 |
| Deenergization Protocols | PUC § 8387(b)(2)(F): Protocols for disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system that consider the associated impacts on public safety, as well as protocols related to mitigating the public safety impacts of those protocols, including impacts on critical first responders and on health and communication infrastructure. | Section 5-E & F Page 15 |
| Customer Notification Procedures | PUC § 8387(b)(2)(G): Appropriate and feasible procedures for notifying a customer who may be impacted by the deenergizing of electrical lines. The procedures shall consider the need to notify, as a priority, critical first responders, health care facilities, and operators of telecommunications infrastructure. | Section 6 Page 15 |
| Vegetation Management | PUC § 8387(b)(2)(H): Plans for vegetation management. | Section 5-C Page 15 |
| Inspections | PUC § 8387(b)(2)(I): Plans for inspections of the local publicly owned electric utility’s or electrical cooperative’s electrical infrastructure. | Section 5-D Page 15 |
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| Prioritization of Wildfire Risks | PUC § 8387(b)(2)(J): A list that identifies, describes, and prioritizes all wildfire risks, and drivers for those risks, throughout the local publicly owned electric utility’s or electrical cooperative’s service territory. The list shall include, but not be limited to, both of the following:
(i) Risks and risk drivers associated with design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the local publicly owned electric utility’s or electrical cooperative’s equipment and facilities.
(ii) Particular risks and risk drivers associated with topographic and climatological risk factors throughout the different parts of the local publicly owned electric utility’s or electrical cooperative’s service territory. | Section 4
Page 11 |
| CPUC Fire Threat Map Adjustments | PUC § 8387(b)(2)(K): Identification of any geographic area in the local publicly owned electric utility’s or electrical cooperative’s service territory that is a higher wildfire threat than is identified in a commission fire threat map, and identification of where the commission should expand a high fire threat district based on new information or changes to the environment. | Section 5-A
Page 14 |
| Enterprise-wide Risks | PUC § 8387(b)(2)(L): A methodology for identifying and presenting enterprise-wide safety risk and wildfire-related risk. | Section 4-B
Page 11 |
| Restoration of Service | PUC § 8387(b)(2)(M): A statement of how the local publicly owned electric utility or electrical cooperative will restore service after a wildfire. | Section 6
Page 15 |
| Monitor and Audit | PUC § 8387(b)(2)(N): A description of the processes and procedures the local publicly owned electric utility or electrical cooperative shall use to do all of the following:
(i) Monitor and audit the implementation of the wildfire mitigation plan.
(ii) Identify any deficiencies in the wildfire mitigation plan or its implementation and correct those deficiencies.
(iii) Monitor and audit the effectiveness of electrical line and equipment inspections, including inspections performed by contractors, that are carried out under the plan, other applicable statutes, or commission rules. | Section 7-C
Page 18 |
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| Agency | Address | Contact | Phone No. |
| AMR, American Medical Response | 14828 7th Street\nVictorville, CA 92392 | Administration | 760.952.7400 |
| Kaiser Permanente High Desert Medical Offices | 14011 Park Ave.\nVictorville, CA 92392 | Administration | 833.574.2273 |
| St. Mary's Hospital Medical Center | 18300 Highway 18\nApple Valley, CA 92307 | Administration | 760.242.2311 |
| Desert Valley Hospital | 16850 Bear Valley Rd.\nVictorville, CA 92395 | Administration | 760.241.8000 |
| Victorville Municipal Utility Services | 18374 Phantom West\nVictorville, CA 92394 | Hotline | 877.760.8687 |
| Victorville Municipal Utility Services | 18374 Phantom West\nVictorville, CA 92394 | Administration | 760.243.6340 |
| Victorville Municipal Utility Services – Management | 18374 Phantom West\nVictorville, CA 92394 | Director of Utilities | 760.243.6341 |
| Victorville Fire Department | 14343 Civic Drive\nVictorville, CA 92392 | Fire Chief | 760.955.5233 |
| Victorville Fire Department | 14343 Civic Drive\nVictorville, CA 92392 | Division Chief | 760.955.5231 |
| Victorville Fire Department | 14343 Civic Drive\nVictorville, CA 92392 | Emergency Medical Services Coordinator | 760.955.5237 |
| Victorville Fire Department | 14343 Civic Drive\nVictorville, CA 92392 | Emergency Management Coordinator | 760.243.6344 |
| SCLA – Airport Operations | 18374 Phantom West\nVictorville, CA 92394 | Hotline | 760.243.1915 |
| SCLA Management | 18374 Phantom West\nVictorville, CA 92394 | Airport Director | 760.243.1910 |
| Victorville – Police Department | 14176 Amargosa Rd.\nVictorville, CA 92392 | Police Chief | 760.241.2911 |
| Victorville – Public Works | 14177 Mc Art Rd.\nVictorville, CA 92392 | Director | 760.243.6332 |
| Victorville – City Management | 14343 Civic Drive\nVictorville, CA 92392 | City Manager | 760.955.5029 |
| Victorville – City Management | 14343 Civic Drive\nVictorville, CA 92392 | PIO | 760.955.5028 |
| Victorville – Traffic & Transportation | 14343 Civic Drive\nVictorville, CA 92392 | Traffic Engineer | 760.955.5156 |
| San Bernardino County: Dept. of Environmental Health | 385 N. Arrowhead Ave. #2\nSan Bernardino, CA 92415 | Administration | 800.782.4264 |
| Mission Aviation Fire Rescue | 1055 E. 3rd Street\nCorona, CA 92879 | Administration | 844.321.2733 |
| Mission Aviation Fire Rescue – Station 319 | 18550 Readiness St.\nVictorville, CA 92394 | Fire Chief | 760.246.6479 |
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Pursuant to the SEMS structure, VMUS participates in annual training exercises. Training exercises include workshops and tabletop exercises. A sample of topics covered include earthquake safety, disaster response & management, and NIMS/SEMS/ICS compliance.
IV. WILDFIRE RISKS AND DRIVERS ASSOCIATED WITH DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, OPERATION, AND MAINTENANCE
### A. PARTICULAR RISKS AND RISK DRIVERS ASSOCIATED WITH TOPOGRAPHIC AND CLIMATOLOGICAL RISK FACTORS
Due to VMUS's distribution system being 100% underground, the primary risk drivers for wildfire within VMUS's service territory are the following:
Earthquake
• Flooding
### B. ENTERPRISE-WIDE SAFETY RISKS
Earthquake profile - There are two major faults/fault zones that directly affect VMUS. They are the San Andreas Fault and the Helendale Fault zones. The City of Victorville sits in the middle of both faults. The San Andreas Fault is the longest fault in California and is known to cause powerful earthquakes, as big as a magnitude eight (8.0).6 This fault is located south-west of Victorville. The Helendale Fault creates smaller, yet more frequent earthquakes and is located northeast of the city. The most recent major earthquake to affect the City of Victorville was the Ridgecrest earthquake, approximately 82 miles north of the city. This earthquake struck July 5, 2019 and had a magnitude of 7.1.
Large earthquakes occurring in many parts of the Southern California region could affect the City of Victorville. However, the degree to which the earthquakes are felt, and the damages associated with them may vary. At risk from earthquake damage are critical facilities, buildings, bridges, highways and roads; hazardous materials facilities; sewer, water, natural gas pipelines; earth dams; petroleum pipelines; and private property located in the city. The relative or secondary earthquake hazards, which are liquefaction, ground shaking, amplification, and earthquake-induced landslides, can be just as devastating as the earthquake.
Flooding profile - There are four types flooding conditions that exist within the City of Victorville area; flooding in defined watercourses; ponding; sheet flow; and dam inundation. Flooding within defined watercourses occurs within drainage channels and immediately adjacent floodplains. Ponding occurs when water flow is obstructed due to manmade obstacles and other roadways, where they cross-defined watercourses. Sheet flow occurs when capacities of defined watercourses are exceeded, and water flows over broad areas.
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Known flood-prone areas noted in the General Plan as well as recorded in city maintenance files, include:
| WMP Metrics [No Risk or Minimal Risk POUs and Co-ops] |
| Performance Metrics |
| | (Actual) | (Actual) | (Forecast) | (Forecast) | (Forecast) | | |
| Metric type | Progress metric name | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Unit(s) | Comments |
| 1. Above-Ground, Utility-Owned Distribution System Components | Routine Inspections | | | | | | 0 inspections | System is completely underground |
| 2. Distribution Inspections | Patrol Inspections | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 21 circuit miles | Inspections are done weekly |
| Routine Vegetation Management | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 21 circuit miles | Inspections are done quarterly |
| 3. Transmission Inspections | Patrol Inspections | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 21 circuit miles | Inspections are done weekly |
| Routine Vegetation Management | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 21 circuit miles | Inspections are done quarterly |
| Outcome Metrics |
| | (Actual) | (Actual) | (Actual) | (Actual) | (To Date) | | |
| Event Category | Cause category | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Unit(s) | Comments |
| Outage Event | Distribution | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 outages | |
| Transmission | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 outages | |
| Ignitions* | Distribution | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 ignitions | |
| Transmission | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 ignitions | |
| [Level 1] Safety Hazards** | Distribution | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 hazards discovered | |
| Transmission | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 hazards discovered | |
| Notes:\n* An "ignition" is deemed to occur if each of the following conditions is met: (1) a utility owned or controlled facility was associated with the fire; (2) the fire was self-propagating and of a material other than electrical and/or communication facilities; (3) the resulting fire traveled greater than one linear meter from the ignition point; and (4) the utility has knowledge that the fire occurred.\n** A [Level 1] Safety Hazard is defined as ______. |
### C. MONITORING AND AUDITING THE PLAN
This Wildfire Mitigation Plan will be presented to the Victorville City Council. VMUS staff will review the plan on an annual basis and bring updates to the Council as needed.
### D. IDENTIFYING AND CORRECTING DEFICIENCIES IN THE PLAN
There has been no need to correct or change any processes of the plan due to zero wildfire threats causing outages or ignitions. Any deficiencies identified during subsequent reviews and independent evaluations of the plan will be promptly corrected.
### E. MONITORING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INSPECTIONS
VMUS' Utility Maintenance Management System (UMMS) is used to collect all data subject to GO165.
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Quarterly inspection and maintenance reports are generated for all electric distribution facilities. Maintenance history for each piece of equipment is archived in the UMMS. Additionally, VMUS' substation inspection and maintenance program complies with GO174 guidelines as well as manufacturer specifications, standards, and recommendations. VMUS performs regular inspections of all substation components including recording and analysis of all alarms, fluid levels, meters, and Load Tap Changer settings.
Although VMUS does not fall under the jurisdiction of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), VMUS would cooperate with the CPUC's Utilities Safety and Reliability Branch and their requests for periodic audits.
### VIII. Public & Professional Feedback
### A. CMUA – Wildfire Preparedness, Response and Recovery Working Group
The California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA) will be holding a special meeting of its Wildfire Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Working Group this fall, which will be focused on risk drivers for powerline caused catastrophic wildfires and innovative mitigation options. CMUA plans to invite a broad range of utility staff, state agency staff (including the WSAB), industry experts, and academics to participate in this discussion. As part of this meeting, the working group will discuss unidentified wildfire risk drivers and mitigation measures that could address these risks. Based on the input provided during this meeting, CMUA will produce a publicly available, post-meeting report that summarizes the group's conclusions and recommendations. VMUS' staff will participate in CMUA's meeting and will discuss any changes that VMUS has made to its operations in response to the conclusions and recommendations of the working group in a future WMP.
### B. Public Input Process
VMUS is governed by the Victorville City Council. This plan was brought forth to the City Council and members of the public on June 21, 2022. Due to the adoption of the plan, not requiring a notice of public hearing or any special noticing requirements, the noticing of the plan followed the City's standards per the Brown Act. The agenda was posted a week in advance and public comment is a section of the agenda where members of the public can speak freely on any item on the agenda. Members of the public are given three minutes to speak on their items; at the time of the plan's adoption, there were no speakers.
The next adoption of the plan by the Victorville City Council will be in 2024. At this time, VMUS will engage the public via a comment box on the City's website with a draft plan, seeking public review and suggestions; any suggestions provided will be discussed and incorporated into the plan as needed. Staff will advise customers via email of the availability to review the plan and provide feedback.1 Appendix I: 2021 Informational Response has been removed as the information has been incorporated into the overall plan, per the California Wildfire Safety Advisory Board.
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| Required Element of WMP | Location in WMP | Summary of VMUS WMP | Independent Evaluator's Assessment |
| PUC § 8387(b)(2)(C): A description of the preventive strategies and programs to be adopted by the local publicly owned electric utility or electrical cooperative to minimize the risk of its electrical lines and equipment causing catastrophic wildfires, including consideration of dynamic climate change risks. | Section V | VMUS' distribution system 100% underground. VMUS adheres to all state and federal design, construction, and inspection standards. | VMUS WMP meets this requirement. |
| PUC § 8387(b)(2)(D): A description of the metrics the local publicly owned electric utility or electrical cooperative plans to use to evaluate the wildfire mitigation plan's performance and the assumptions that underlie the use of those metrics. | Section VII.A | VMUS will track fire ignitions attributed to VMUS facilities and equipment. | VMUS WMP meets this requirement. |
| PUC § 8387(b)(2)(E): A discussion of how the application of previously identified metrics to previous wildfire mitigation plan performances has informed the wildfire mitigation plan. | Section VII.B | As data collection history becomes more robust, VMUS will build and continue to analyze the data set to identify areas of its operations and service territory that are impacted. | VMUS WMP meets this requirement. |
| PUC § 8387(b)(2)(F): Protocols for disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system that consider the associated impacts on public safety, as well as protocols related to mitigating the public safety impacts of those protocols, including impacts on critical first responders and on health and communication infrastructure. | Section V.E-F | VMUS electrical system is 100% underground and has no automatic reclosures in service. | VMUS WMP meets this requirement. |
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| Required Element of WMP | Location in WMP | Summary of VMUS WMP | Independent Evaluator's Assessment |
| PUC § 8387(b)(2)(G): Appropriate and feasible procedures for notifying a customer who may be impacted by the deenergizing of electrical lines. The procedures shall consider the need to notify, as a priority, critical first responders, health care facilities, and operators of telecommunications infrastructure. | Section V.E-F | Due to minimal risk of underground system, VMUS is not adopting specific protocols for deenergizing any portions of its electrical distribution system. | VMUS WMP meets this requirement. |
| PUC § 8387(b)(2)(H): Plans for vegetation management. | Section V.C | VMUS meets or exceeds industry standards; CPUC GO95, GO128, GO165, GO174, Public resources Code 4292-4293. | VMUS WMP meets this requirement. |
| PUC § 8387(b)(2)(I): Plans for inspections of the local publicly owned electric utility's or electrical cooperative's electrical infrastructure. | Section V.D | VMUS meets or exceeds the inspection requirements set forth in CPUC GO 165 and 174. | VMUS WMP meets this requirement. |
| PUC § 8387(b)(2)(J): A list that identifies, describes, and prioritizes all wildfire risks, and drivers for those risks, throughout the local publicly owned electric utility's or electrical cooperative's service territory. The list shall include, but not be limited to, both of the following: (i) Risks and risk drivers associated with design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the local publicly owned electric utility's or electrical cooperative's equipment and facilities. (ii) Particular risks and risk drivers | Section IV.A | Primary risk drivers for Wildfire within VMUS service territory are Earthquakes and Flooding. | VMUS WMP meets this requirement. |
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| Required Element of WMP | Location in WMP | Summary of VMUS WMP | Independent Evaluator's Assessment |
| associated with topographic and climatological risk factors throughout the different parts of the local publicly owned electric utility's or electrical cooperative's service territory. | | | |
| PUC § 8387(b)(2)(K): Identification of any geographic area in the local publicly owned electric utility's or electrical cooperative's service territory that is a higher wildfire threat than is identified in a commission fire threat map, and identification of where the commission should expand a high fire threat district based on new information or changes to the environment. | Section IV | No part of VMUS service territory is a higher wildfire threat than identified on the CPUC Fire Threat Map. | VMUS WMP meets this requirement. |
| PUC § 8387(b)(2)(L): A methodology for identifying and presenting enterprisewide safety risk and wildfire-related risk. | Section IV.B | VMUS has compiled and assessed historical data for local and regional earthquake and flooding events. | VMUS WMP meets this requirement. |
| PUC § 8387(b)(2)(M): A statement of how the local publicly owned electric utility or electrical cooperative will restore service after a wildfire. | Section VI | VMUS has listed a detailed safety plan of the actions to be taken in order to restore services after a wildfire. | VMUS WMP meets this requirement. |
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