Faced with increasing wildfire size, intensity and frequency, the utility industry is actively seeking a sustainable grid hardening solution for wildfire mitigation.
Developed on the foundation of over 10 years of research, full-scale wildfire testing and real-world fire exposure, the RS Fire Shield™ is a proven fire solution that keeps poles standing during fire events.
The RS Fire Shield™ is a lightweight, rigid, composite shell designed to encapsulate a utility pole from the ground line up to protect the pole and mitigate fire-related damage. Developed using the same self-extinguishing polyurethane resin formulation used in all RS poles, the Fire Shield™ provides extended fire duration protection.
The Fire Shield™ creates a sacrificial thermal barrier protecting the underlying pole to ensure the pole’s structural capacity is maintained during and after a wildfire event, enabling faster restorations because pole replacements are no longer required. If exposed to severe fire conditions, the Fire Shield™ is easily remediated following the fire event using a proprietary polyurethane resin restoration coating or quickly replaced, depending on the level of damage.