Douglas Electric Cooperative’s Todd Sherwood Tackles Growing Wildfire Threat
By Phil Bigler
As wildfires increasingly threaten the Pacific Northwest, utilities are under mounting pressure to adopt stronger wildfire prevention measures. Douglas Electric Cooperative (DEC), which serves communities across Coos, Douglas, and Lane counties, is no exception. After experiencing several major wildfires in recent years, DEC took a significant step by creating a fire mitigation manager position to better address the growing threat. The cooperative’s decision to appoint Todd Sherwood, a 30-year veteran of the organization, to this new role highlights the importance of deep institutional knowledge and adaptability in mitigating fire risks.
The Pacific Northwest, once known for its mild fire seasons, has seen a marked increase in wildfire activity, driven by hotter, drier conditions and shifting weather patterns. For DEC, which operates 1,600 miles of overhead distribution lines in predominantly rural and forested areas, this new reality presents serious challenges. Much of DEC’s electrical infrastructure is spread across difficult terrain, vulnerable to high winds and dense vegetation that increase the potential for fires.
Recognizing the growing importance of wildfire prevention, DEC sought and secured a $9.1 million grant from the U.S. Forest Service in 2023 to support fuel reduction and wildfire mitigation projects. The funding allowed DEC to expand its vegetation management and infrastructure upgrade programs as well as become the first utility in Oregon to create a full-time position focused exclusively on wildfire mitigation.
Choosing the Right Person for the Role
When DEC created the fire mitigation manager position, the cooperative needed someone with extensive knowledge of its operations, infrastructure, and unique challenges. Todd, with over 30 years of experience at DEC, was the ideal candidate. Todd had worked in a variety of roles, starting as a lineworker before advancing to foreman, staking engineer, and eventually operations superintendent. His comprehensive understanding of DEC’s transmission and distribution systems made him uniquely qualified to lead the cooperative’s fire mitigation efforts.
According to DEC General Manager Keith Brooks, Todd’s broad technical knowledge and hands-on experience were invaluable assets in tackling wildfire risks.
“He’s seen almost every instance of what the system can do and what it can’t,” Brooks said, emphasizing the importance of leveraging Todd’s institutional knowledge before he retires.
Todd’s ability to understand the system’s strengths and vulnerabilities under various conditions gives him critical insights into wildfire prevention that few others possess. Todd’s openness to new technology also made him a natural fit for the role. Modern fire mitigation heavily relies on tools such as drones, fault-current indicators, and advanced monitoring systems. Todd’s readiness to embrace these technologies helped DEC integrate them effectively into its wildfire prevention program.
The Responsibilities of a Fire Mitigation Manager
Stepping into the fire mitigation manager role has given Todd a new challenge— 1 he finds both exciting and essential. His primary mission is clear: to identify and eliminate ignition sources before they can spark wildfires. This involves close oversight of DEC’s rights of way and ongoing fire mitigation projects.
Todd oversees a dedicated crew tasked with clearing vegetation around power lines to minimize fire risks. Given DEC’s largely rural and forested service area, managing brush, branches, and trees around power lines is essential for wildfire prevention. Todd’s team ensures these hazards are reduced, particularly in the aftermath of storms, when falling trees can cause outages and spark fires. He also manages the cooperative’s drone inspection program, which enables fast and efficient inspection of remote and hard-to-reach areas.
A major project under Todd’s leadership is the replacement of 3,000 expulsion fuses with current-limiting fuses, which are filled with spark-stopping sand to reduce fire risk. Additional infrastructure upgrades include replacing oil reclosers with electronic vacuum reclosers and installing insulated overhead conductors and fault-current indicators. These changes are part of a multiyear effort to make DEC’s grid more resilient to wildfires.
Collaborating With Communities & Agencies
Todd’s responsibilities go beyond technical upgrades. He is also tasked with integrating DEC’s wildfire mitigation plan with broader community safety efforts. This involves collaborating with local fire agencies, state forestry departments, and county emergency management teams to ensure DEC’s strategies align with regional wildfire prevention initiatives.
In addition, Todd plays a vital role in educating DEC members about fire safety. He frequently reminds residents to create defensible space around their homes and have backup plans in case of power outages. In some cases, DEC has needed to shut off power to prevent wildfires, such as during the 2020 Archie Creek Fire, when power was cut to 200 members near Mount Scott to eliminate the risk of utility lines starting another fire. Todd’s guidance ensures these power cuts, while sometimes necessary, are handled as efficiently and safely as possible.
During the 2023 Tyee Ridge Complex fire, Todd played a crucial role in coordinating daily with the incident command team to support nearly 500 firefighters battling 10 wildfires spread across almost 8,000 acres. His efforts included managing DEC crews responsible for de-energizing and lowering power lines to provide safe access for firefighting teams, while also ensuring power to essential water sources and wells remained on for as long as possible. Todd also partnered with right-of-way trimming crews to remove dangerous trees that could threaten the safety of those fighting the fires.
Rather than de-energizing all power lines in the affected areas, as would typically happen, Todd worked closely with the incident command team to take a more strategic, granular approach to power shutoffs. This tailored response, made possible by Todd’s active involvement, helped maintain critical power where needed while still prioritizing safety for the firefighting teams and the community.
Anticipating Risks & Implementing Solutions
Todd’s extensive experience enables him to anticipate potential risks and address them before they escalate. His work as fire mitigation manager strengthens DEC’s fire prevention capabilities while enhancing the cooperative’s relationship with the communities it serves. By overseeing equipment upgrades, managing vegetation, and collaborating with external partners, Todd ensures DEC is proactive in its approach to fire mitigation.
Conclusion: The Right Leader for a Critical Role
The creation of the fire mitigation manager position at Douglas Electric Cooperative was driven by the urgent need to address the increasing wildfire risk in the Pacific Northwest. In appointing Todd to this critical role, DEC recognized the immense value of his decades of experience, deep understanding of the cooperative’s infrastructure, and willingness to embrace new technologies.
Todd’s leadership is pivotal to DEC’s efforts to proactively manage wildfire risks, improve the resilience of its infrastructure, and protect the communities it serves. His expertise and forward-thinking approach to wildfire prevention underscore the importance of having a dedicated, experienced leader at the helm during a time of growing fire risk. As fire seasons become longer and more severe, utilities like DEC will continue to rely on individuals like Todd to ensure their systems remain safe, reliable, and capable of withstanding future challenges.