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Old power lines spark vulnerability to wildfires

Warmer temperatures have left many parts of the country vulnerable to wildfires. And old power lines may be making the situation worse.

America’s power infrastructure is aging. According to experts, many of the lines we rely on to deliver our electricity were built 60 to 70 years ago. And when a faulty power line interacts with dry vegetation, there’s a chance that a deadly wildfire could spark.

We hear from Saeed Manshadi, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at San Diego State University studying how to improve electrical grid resilience in fire-prone areas.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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