Hazards/Wildfire
Wildfire External Hazards
Wildfire refers to uncontrolled fires that spread through vegetative fuels such as forests, grasslands, and brush. When wildfires occur near nuclear power plant sites, they can threaten electrical grid infrastructure, degrade air quality, restrict site access, and in extreme cases pose direct thermal hazards to site structures. Electrical disruptions are the most commonly observed wildfire impact on nuclear power plants, with wildfires capable of physically damaging transmission infrastructure or triggering protective de-energization of lines. EPRI 3002032022 provides a four-step Wildfire Vulnerability Assessment (WVA) framework and includes a review of 23 wildfire events affecting nuclear plants globally (1990–2025).
Return to Hazards. | EPRI technical point of contact: Chris Rochon (CRochon@epri.com)
Date last reviewed: 2026-05-07