Nat Prescott info cards

What is the case about

On January 1, 2026, following a late-night car crash into a roadside utility pole, a wildfire spread through the Rapid River Valley area, resulting in millions of dollars of property damage and 12 deaths. The families of the victims brought civil negligence actions against Midlands Gas and Electric

Who are the 12 victims of the fire?

Ali Alekri; Coby Ackerman; Maya Buckley; Elijah Bullie; Ethan Donovan; Isabella Kelly; Jack Martinez; A.J. Palacios; Leena Saif; Ryan Sanghavi; Emberlynn St. Hilaire; and Isabelle Townley

When did the car accident occur

1:43 am Jan 1 2026

When was MG&E Notified of the accident

2:10 am

when was the fire reported

4:25 am Jan 01

When was the fire reported to MG&E

4:30 am Jan 01

What was the fire called

Dip FIre

Where does the case take place

Rapid River Valley, Midlands

Who is Landon Norris

The driver who crashed on the night of the fir

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology | Senior Engineer

Midlands State University | Adjunct Professor

UC Berkeley / U.S. Forest Service Fire Sciences Laboratory | Doctoral Researcher (2016-19)

United States Forest Service | Wildland Firefighter (2008-13)

Education Experience

University of California, Berkeley - PHD (2019)
Emory University, Atl - M.S. (2015)

Colorado State University - BS (2008)

Certifications

ACTAR(Traffic Accident reconstruction)
Certified Accident Reconstructionalist 2020-pres

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Member

IEEE Power & Energy Society, Member

How much was Prescott paid for his services

$125 an hour

$10,000 for trial testimony

160 hours

~ $30,000 total

What has Nat prescott seen

Exhibits 1a-b, 2a-b, 3a-b, 5a-e, 6a-c, 12a-c, 13 and 14. also reviewed the affidavits of Landon Norris and Eden Yamal.

How many trials has Nat attended

28 trials

5 stages of an electrical power system

Generation, Transmission, Substation, Distribution, Customer

Generation is -

Electricity is produced and increased to a high voltage

Transmission is -

electricity is carried over long distances on large steel lattice towers, which are the tall, angular structures commonly seen crossing open or wildland terrain

Substations are -

Facilities where transmission-level voltage is decreased to a lower voltage suitable for local delivery to neighborhoods and communities.

Distribution is -

Lower-voltage conductors, typically mounted on wooden utility poles, carry electricity through populated areas to individual customers.

What percent of wildfires are caused by electric failures

3 -10% but their remote location makes them very severe

How can Electrical Infrastructure ignite a fire?

Arcing and reignition.
Damage to pole-mounted equipment.
Smoke or fire-induced flashover.

What is a smoke or fire-induced flashover?

Fire makes the air weaker and more prone to electricity arcing to the ground

What is Damage to pole-mounted equipment.

It’s…Damage…to…pole mounted equipment

What is Arcing and reignition.

Insulation damage allows exposed electricity to arc and possibly ignite an object

What are Utility Operating Practices Relevant to Ignition and Fire Growth

Right-of-way vegetation management.

Defensible space around infrastructure.

Structural resilience and response to physical impact.

Layered monitoring systems and response.

Right-of-way vegetation management.

A right-of-way is the strip of land beneath and around a power line that the utility has the legal right to access and is responsible for maintaining

Defensible space around infrastructure.

utilities are also expected to maintain a cleared buffer area known as defensible space immediately surrounding critical structures such as transmission towers.

Sructural resilience and response to physical impact.

utilities are expected to consider physical risks as well. This includes appropriate installation of physical safeguards such as guardrails, crash barriers, or extra distance from roadways,

Layered monitoring systems and response.

A SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system reports the electrical state of the circuit, such as whether breakers or reclosers have operated, whether current and voltage are within expected ranges, and whether a qualifying fault has been detected.

An Environmental Monitoring System (“EMS”) reports conditions in the area around the line, using sensors that measure temperature and airborne particulates.

SCADA readings that call for attention are

departures from normal circuit behavior, such as an inoperative breaker or recloser, a registered fault, or current and voltage outside expected ranges.

EMS readings that call for attention are

elevated temperature and elevated particulates near the line.

fire's area of origin

in the vicinity of MG&E distribution Pole #4742, along the shoulder of Dip Road

When was the pole visited

June 26, 2026

Methods used in the investigation were -

determining speed from tire mark geometry and from vehicle crush measurements,

estimating impact force from vehicle mass and velocity, and conducting a fire origin, spread, and escalation analysis.

Where did the curved tire marks start

approx 210 ft south of the impact

Vehicle damage

vehicle's front end sustained a maximum crush depth of approximately 9.5 inches.

How tall is pole 4742

40ft

Does the gaurdrail cover an adequate section of the pole

No, it stops about 40 ft south

Weakness of SCADA systems

mechanical damage produces no electrical signature so long as the circuit continues carrying the current normally throughout the period in question

When could the fire have ignited?

after 2:30 am but well before 3:30 am

How close were the plants to the pole

2-4 ft at minimum

What was the transmission tower number

112

vegetation around the tower was _____ feet out

28

evidence found at tower 112

scorch marks 15 feet higher than the highest point of flames.
indicates a flashover
Flashover made fire stronger

MG&E needed to cut the circut

Exhibit 1-a

Police report of the accident from Charlie Weaver

Exhibit 1-b

Police report of the Dip fire from D. Weber

Exhibit 2a-b

Pictures of the car and pole top

Exhibit 3a-b

Drawn and aerial maps of the area affected

Exhibit 13

Brock resume

Exhibit 14

UROC standards manuel

Exhibit 12a-c

weather alerts and fire evacuation order

Exhibit 6a-c

MG&E workside monitor screens