Avista making progress in repairing equipment damaged by historic wildfires

Avista crews are reaching new areas for repairs and assessments due to improved safety conditions following devastating wildfires.

SPOKANE, Wash., August 3, 2026 - Avista is making progress repairing wildfire-damaged electric infrastructure across Eastern Washington. Improved weather conditions and increased access have allowed crews to begin work in areas that were previously unsafe.

Some of the large transmission lines that carry electricity to communities were greatly damaged by the fires. Now that crews can safely access more of those areas, they are making repairs that are improving the system's ability to deliver power and reducing the risk of additional outages.

Avista crews have completed repairs to one of the critical transmission lines impacted by wildfire activity. As a result, the capacity concerns that prompted earlier warnings about potential periodic outages have been significantly reduced.

With those repairs in place, Avista does not currently anticipate the need for broad, periodic outages related to transmission system capacity constraints in the coming days. Avista appreciates all those who helped with the conservation requests made yesterday. The actions of our customers helped reduce strain on the system during a critical period.

"While the progress we've made over the last 24 hours is encouraging, we know many families and businesses are still dealing with the impacts of these fires," said Heather Rosentrater, Avista president and CEO. "We're grateful for the support of first responders and our mutual aid partners as we continue assessing damage, repairing infrastructure and restoring service as safely and quickly as possible."

Electric Customer Outage Update

Approximately 3,800 Avista customers remain without power. Some areas are taking longer to restore than others, depending on the damage and whether crews can safely access the area. Avista will continue to share updates as more information becomes available.

Spokane and Stevens County Restoration Update

Avista has over 20 crews assessing damage and restoring service in parts of Indian Trail, Riverside State Park west of the Spokane River areas near Mead, and other impacted communities. Work includes repairing damaged power lines, replacing equipment and evaluating system impacts as crews are able to safely access new areas.

Inchelium Restoration Update

In Inchelium, Avista crews have recently been able to begin restoration work after prolonged wildfire activity and unsafe conditions limited access to damaged infrastructure. The active Modrite Fire and related safety concerns prevented our crews from entering the area for the last few days. Avista now has eight line crews working to restore electric service to the community. The companyhas deployed generators to support the local infrastructure while repairs continue.

Natural Gas Customer Outage Update

Approximately 5,000 natural gas customers in the Spokane area remain without service due to wildfire damage, access restrictions and ongoing safety concerns. Crews continue inspecting and repairing infrastructure in areas affected by the Fairview and Old Trails fires and are preparing parts of the system for restoration as conditions allow.

Avista is also coordinating closely with emergency responders near the Autumn Lane Fire to support firefighting operations and assess impacts to utility infrastructure.

Before service can be restored, Avista must inspect natural gas facilities and verify the system is safe to operate. Customers should not attempt to restore natural gas service themselves. Avista personnel will work directly with customers when restoration activities are ready to begin. Customers in evacuated areas can request a relight once emergency officials have determined it is safe for residents and utility crews to return. Until then, Avista is unable to conduct relights in these areas. Work to restore service will happen as quickly as possible once reentry is permitted.

Avista is aware of misinformation regarding natural gas facilities in fire-affected areas. Avista has isolated and shut off the flow of natural gas to damaged portions of the system. While portions of the natural gas system have been damaged and some customers remain without service, the company continues to monitor its system and conduct safety inspections as restoration efforts progress.

About Avista Utilities
Avista Utilities is involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy. We provide energy services and electricity to 429,000 customers and natural gas to 383,000 customers in a service territory that covers 34,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon, with a population of 1.5 million. Avista Utilities is an operating division of Avista Corp. (NYSE: AVA). For more information, please visit www.myavista.com. Avista Corp. and the Avista Corp. logo are trademarks of Avista Corporation.

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