Electric companies don’t need to black out customers to prevent wildfires – here are 3 relatively fast, affordable solutions

science & techanalysisThe Conversation2026 · Western United States

Electric companies don’t need to black out customers to prevent wildfires – here are 3 relatively fast, affordable solutions

the gist

Utilities in the Western US are increasingly cutting power to whole neighborhoods on hot, dry, windy days to stop their wires from starting fires, a practice called a public safety power shut-off. Bare overhead lines can short-circuit when branches or wires touch, throwing off sparks, and California utilities have been linked to several of the state's most destructive wildfires. Three cheaper alternatives can reduce risk without blackouts. Covered conductors wrap high-risk lines in polymer insulation, so a branch resting on the wire does not spark. Fast-trip circuit breakers cut power to one short section within a fraction of a second. Smart sensors and AI cameras track line temperature, sag and wind, so operators can isolate a risky span.

how it works

Electrical sparks form when a conductor touches another wire, a tree or the ground. Insulated conductors stop the current from arcing to nearby objects. Fast-trip breakers detect the sudden fault and cut power within milliseconds, before a spark can grow into a fire, so only one segment goes dark.

so what

Blackouts are now common across the West and can last days, so better engineering could keep fire risk down without cutting power. Utilities that rely on the least disruptive tools can avoid both fires and the costs of mass outages.

Illustrative photo · JonTheSucculentDude, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

source: The Conversation ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗