Assessment

The grid isn't insulated. It's insulated by air.

Most overhead distribution conductor is bare aluminum, energized at thousands of volts, with nothing but open air between it and the trees, brush, and dry grass below. That single fact is the root of the powerline wildfire problem, and it plays out through several distinct failure modes.

Why this matters

Powerline ignition is one of the largest preventable wildfire risks in the United States.

The failures below are not theoretical. Overhead conductors have been the ignition source for several of the deadliest and most expensive wildfires on record. The pattern is national: more than 2.5 million miles of distribution line cross increasingly dry terrain, and climate stress is lengthening the fire season almost everywhere.

Wooden distribution pole with multiple bare overhead conductors and crossarms
Figure 1. Typical bare overhead distribution conductor on a wooden crossarm. Most U.S. distribution mileage is uninsulated and exposed.
85+

Lives lost in single powerline-ignited fire events

Camp Fire, 2018
$15B+

Insured losses from one high-severity fire season tied to grid failures

California, 2018
2.5M

Miles of overhead distribution line in the United States

Source: DOE / EIA
12 mo.

Fire season growth in parts of the West over the past several decades

Climate-driven extension
Failure modes

How bare conductor becomes an ignition source.

Trigger each scenario to see the failure mode play out on bare conductor, and the same event on Kratos-shielded conductor.

Failure mode

Vegetation Contact

Bare (Ignition)
Kratos Materials (Shielded)
StatusReady
The threat

Utility wildfire reports indicate vegetation contact as a leading ignition cause.

Kratos response

The Kratos materials system is designed to reduce energy transfer during specified contact events.

Failure mode

Conductor Slap

Bare (Short Circuit)
Kratos Materials (Bounce)
StatusReady
The threat

High winds cause lines to touch, creating massive electrical arcs.

Kratos response

The Kratos materials system is designed to reduce energy transfer during specified contact events.

Failure mode

Downed Lines

Bare (Ground Fire)
Kratos Materials (Managed)
StatusReady
The threat

Fallen live wires ignite dry grass instantly (75% higher risk in drought).

Kratos response

The Kratos materials system is designed to reduce energy transfer during specified contact events.

Failure mode

Object Contact

Bare (Flashover)
Kratos Materials (Blocked)
StatusReady
The threat

Metallic balloons bridge phases, causing thousands of outages annually.

Kratos response

The Kratos materials system is designed to reduce energy transfer during specified contact events.

The common denominator: an electrical arc at an exposed surface. Different triggers, one ignition interface, bare metal meeting air, contaminants, and combustible material. The Kratos platform pairs a proprietary materials system with purpose-built robotic deployment, designed to reduce energy transfer at that interface without rebuilding a single mile of line.

See the technology →