Stay Calm: California Wildfires Temporarily Disrupt Fuel Pipeline to Las Vegas
Power outages from California wildfires forced the CALNEV pipeline to stop running, cutting off one out of two main pipelines fueling Las Vegas.
The City of Las Vegas said on social media, “In an abundance of caution, due to the fires in California, the main pipeline that brings gasoline and other fuels to the Las Vegas Valley looks to face temporary disruptions in service.”
The city further said this key line brings in fuel from refineries in California, and they’ve, “assessed fuel reserves for emergency response vehicles and are confident we will continue to provide emergency services for the duration of this event.”
However, don’t panic buy just yet. Clark County said there are two main pipelines that bring in fuel to Las Vegas, and this should “help to alleviate any concerns or panic about current fuel supply.” But, we should be cognisant of this situation and try to limit heavy driving.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department also warned people to “avoid unnecessary panic or misinformation.”
When Can Fuel Start Flowing Again?
This answer to this is dependent on the wildfire situation, which hasn’t quelled much since Tuesday night. Reuters reports the CALNEV pipelines are not “directly impacted by the fires.” Once the power is restored then service will resume.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said there are over 95,000 people with power. PowerOutage.US shows a high concentration of outages in Riverside County, San Bernadino County, Los Angeles County and Ventura County.
Las Vegas Firefighters Aid CalFire
Help is on the way with Las Vegas Fire and Rescue. Teams of Las Vegas firefighters will be joining the battle in California. The city said that on Wednesday, a 25-team person strike team went to Southern California. Additional aid will also be deployed and help with structural protection.
Clark County Fire Chief John Steinbeck told News 3 that, “They’ll do whatever is needed within their scope.”