The state of Nebraska experienced a historic record-breaking wildfire season in March. Burned acres rose to almost 1 million acres! The largest fire, Morrill Fire, early reports from the Governor indicate the largest fire in states’ history, burning nearly 700,000 acres started as a result of an electric utility pole.
Fast Forward began in 2021, building technology to specifically help electric utilities reduce fire and outage risk. The tech was pioneered first in Nebraska, with 6 utilities signing up in the first year in business with Fast Forward!
Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange is one of the largest insurance carriers for rural electric utilities. They have been encouraging their members to implement wildfire mitigation strategies and methods to decrease claim potential. “Wildfire mitigation plans are mandated by the reinsurers that provide insurance coverage to Federated, Irwin says. President and CEO of Federated.”
What is Wildfire Mitigation?
Wildfire mitigation for electric utilities involves a combination of grid hardening, advanced technology deployment, and proactive vegetation management to prevent ignitions and improve resilience. Key strategies include covering conductors, undergrounding high-risk lines, using sensitive, fast-trip reclosers, and implementing Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) during extreme weather. (EEI.org). Utilities are now using tech like thermography to identify overheating components, and Fast Forward is leading that effort nationwide.
Fast Forward has helped numerous utilities reduce fire and outage risk across the Midwest. A utility that contracted Fast Forward shared, ‘We haven’t had a pole burn down since using Fast Forward.’
Why Fast Forward?
CEO & Founder Dusty Birge mentioned, “The savings in mitigating outages and fires saves the rate-payer money and conserves critical components and equipment in a time of challenged supply chains. After 4 years of patrols, there is a direct correlation to utilities using our services and a reduction of fire and outage risks. We have projects essentially border to border, and many states in between….and proactive utility organizations love us…we’re helping keep them out of the news and have saved over $10M in outages since we began just a few years ago.”
Fast Forward uses multiple sensors mounted on cars and UTV’s to identify failing components and equipment, giving utilities a heads up before they see full failure. Learn more here.
Fast Forward thanks the State of Nebraska’s, Nebraska Department of Economic Development (NDED) for awarding them a prototype grant in 2022 (of which came from taxpayer money) that was used to pioneer their wildfire prevention technology that ~ 1/3 of the rural utilities in Nebraska have utilized.
Source & Image credit to: https://diggingdeeper.net/2026/03/14/how-the-morrill-fire-started/
https://www.cooperative.com/remagazine/articles/Pages/The-New-Rules-of-Wildfire-Insurance.aspx
