Fire & Water Safety
Stay safe
Thousands of visitors enjoy Grant PUD’s recreation sites each year. Staying safe during your visit makes your time at our recreation areas much more enjoyable. Follow these tips and stay safe while having fun at our sites.
Stay safe on the water.
Stay Afloat
Water levels can change suddenly without warning. Be aware of exposed hazards when on or near the water.
Wear It
Ensure everyone in the boat is properly wearing a life jacket.
Lookout for barriers
Floating safety barriers are above both dams. Passing these markers is dangerous and not allowed.
Watch the forecast
Weather conditions can change quickly. Beware of high winds and strong waves.
Swim with caution
Always be careful. There are no lifeguards on duty at any of our recreation sites.
Call 911
If someone gets in trouble and needs help, call 911 immediately.
- Water flow changes can occur suddenly without warning and cause strong surface and underwater currents near the dams. Swimming or boating in these areas is extremely dangerous. Remember, water released from the dams can create hazardous boating conditions, so be sure to observe all warning signs and stay back from Wanapum and Priest Rapids dams.
- Sudden fluctuations in water levels can also impact the shoreline. Make sure your boat stays wet and anchor well off shore.
- Make sure water and weather conditions are safe before entering the water. Cold water reduces body heat 25 times faster than air at the same temperature. The Columbia River can be cold enough to cause serious harm. Wearing a life jacket increases your survival time.
Fire Safety
Campfires are a nice addition to any visit, but know these rules before you build a fire:
- Grant PUD participates in countywide and/or statewide fire bans. Notices of burning bans and fire restrictions will be provided at our recreation sites.
- Fires are only allowed in approved devices including the fire rings and barbecue grills that have been installed at our campsites and picnic areas. (There are times when we may restrict burning even in these amenities because of extreme fire danger.)
- We never allow improvised fire pits and open burning on our recreation sites or shoreline.
- If planning to have a fire in an approved device, driftwood is a good choice. However, cutting or disturbing trees, shrubs, or other organic materials on Grant PUD property is not allowed. Doing so takes away the natural beauty of the region and needlessly impacts nature.
- If you build a fire, never leave it unattended. If you need to leave your campsite, be sure to completely extinguish your fire before you depart. If you need to deposit any remaining hot coals, do so at a designated hot coal facility.
- Don’t want to build a fire? Propane barbecues, propane fireplaces or other portable stoves are allowed in Grant PUD parks.
Our plan to prevent and respond to wildfires
Seasonal wildfire is a fact of life in Grant County, where hot summer temperatures, dry lightning, strong winds and tinder-dry wild vegetation combine with human error to create volatile conditions for ignition and rapid spread.
Grant PUD and other electric utilities across the state are required by law (RCW 80.28.440) to each create a Wildfire Mitigation Plan to describe our actions to prevent and respond to wildfires in our service areas, particularly those fires that could potentially be ignited by electrical equipment. The state requires the plan to be reviewed and, if necessary, updated every three years.
Grant PUD’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan describes these measures and more in detail. Members of the public with questions about the plan can contact publicaffairs@gcpud.org.
Grant PUD Emergency Management personnel, have worked with on-staff experts and our area’s first responders to create this plan that describes our best wildfire-response practices, including:
- Monitoring weather conditions.
- Communicating with customers in real time and ahead of time to raise awareness about fire danger and prevention.
- Controlling vegetation around utility poles and electrical equipment.
- Patrolling our electric grid to identify and address potential hazards beforehand.
- Building resiliency into our electric system, so power can be rerouted around active wildfires to prevent or reduce outage times to customers.
- Coordinating with fire and law-enforcement agencies to de-energizing power lines, if necessary, to keep first responders safe.
Take action to protect your property from wildfire
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has a program called “Firewise” that provides information and guidance to communities and individuals about how to get organized and take action to protect homes and properties from wildfire. Visit the NFPA Firewise web page here for complete information.
