Rapid Response with Sustainable Power: Lessons from the LA Wildfires

By Neel Vasavada, Overdrive Energy Solutions

When I first heard about the California wildfires this past January, I knew Overdrive Energy Solutions had to act immediately. By January 8th—barely a day after the fires grew serious—we were on the ground, helping to deliver energy where it was needed most. We’ve spent years in live events demonstrating that renewable power can be cleaner, quieter, more cost-effective, and flat-out more reliable than diesel generators. This crisis proved it again—only this time, we were deploying for first responders and impacted communities rather than for concerts and festivals.

Bringing Event Expertise to Disaster Relief

As an industry, we in live events are used to setting up temporary power for major festivals, stadium concerts, and multi-day tours—often under tight timelines. That skill set translates incredibly well to emergency deployments. From quickly mapping out a site’s energy needs to integrating multiple battery systems in tandem, we used the same agile, event-savvy approach to keep relief operations running smoothly.

Seeing how swiftly we could mobilize was a silver lining amid tragedy. The synergy was so clear, in fact, that first responders began bypassing the usual bureaucratic layers to get in touch with us directly. They’d see how rapidly we could set up a silent, emission-free power source and say, “We need that—yesterday.”

Powering Critical Response

One of the first things you notice during a disaster is how severely a lack of energy disrupts relief efforts. Whether it’s charging essential communication devices, running refrigerated storage for food, or simply powering lights in temporary command trailers, energy quickly becomes a cornerstone of effective relief.

Working alongside Tesla Energy and Footprint Project, our team delivered battery-based mobile power units, solar arrays, and Starlink terminals. We brought power to remote locations such as Topanga Canyon and critical command centers at Zuma and Will Rogers State Beach. We also helped LA County Fire run Starlink receivers on bulldozers deep in the fire zone—making it possible for them to communicate in areas where cell towers were knocked out or overloaded.

We supplemented existing deployments with Overdrive’s PRO60 and DB15 units, as well as larger battery systems from partners like Moxion Power, provided by local film production supplier #Setlife. We set up power for everyone from a retired Marine veteran in the Pacific Palisades—whose apartment building survived the flames but remained without electricity—to U.S. Forest Service base camps at the Rose Bowl.

Diversifying Energy Sources

In my experience, the real magic happens when you combine energy sources rather than relying on a single go-to. For example, when you pair diesel generators with a modern battery system, you don’t have to run the generator continuously. It only kicks on periodically to recharge the batteries, and then it shuts off—slashing diesel consumption by anywhere from fifty to ninety-five percent. And because it’s not running around the clock, you’ve also got a quieter environment with cleaner air.

In some spots, solar is an even bigger piece of the puzzle. Whenever and wherever we can deploy panels, they make things easier by reducing charging requirements. Even in remote areas where a generator might still be necessary for higher loads, you can add batteries and solar working in tandem to dramatically cut fuel use. Overdrive’s “energy aggregation approach”, where we use multiple power sources like Solar, Diesel, and batteries together adds a level of redundancy: if one source goes down, another picks up the slack, keeping power flowing to the people who need it most.

What’s really exciting is how flexible these systems have become. We’re not talking about huge, clunky setups; batteries come in various sizes and can be combined or swapped out, which makes them quick to deploy and easy to adjust on the fly. Once people see the real numbers—lower fuel costs, fewer emissions, reduced noise levels—it becomes a no-brainer. Whether it’s a relief camp or a main stage at a festival, mixing energy sources is a smarter, cleaner, and often cheaper path to powering up.

Why Renewable Makes a Difference

Lower Logistical Burden

In a wildfire zone, fuel supply lines are often stretched thin. Diesel generators need refueling; diesel has to be transported in from distributors - this sucks up resources that could be used more effectively elsewhere. By contrast, battery-based systems require far fewer site visits—many of our setups ran for days on stored energy or solar alone.

Cleaner, Healthier Air

Firefighters already endure poor air quality from the fires themselves. Surrounding them with diesel fumes and endless generator noise just adds insult to injury. Swapping diesel gens for our battery systems immediately cut exhaust fumes, creating a safer and healthier environment for those spending 16-hour shifts at base camps.

Less Noise, More Rest

When firefighters or law enforcement officers finally get a few hours of sleep, they shouldn’t have to do it near a roaring diesel generator. Battery power is quiet—dramatically so. A handful of people told us they genuinely couldn’t believe how silent the equipment was until they walked right up to it and realized it was running.

Reliability & Redundancy

Misconceptions often pop up around whether batteries can truly handle demanding loads. In reality, we pair battery systems with multiple power sources, creating a hybrid that slashes fuel usage (often by 90+%) and adds redundancy. If either system fails, the other one takes over. In remote areas without much infrastructure, that redundancy can be a game-changer.

Lessons for the Event World

For years, I’ve championed the idea that sustainable energy systems aren’t just “greener” but are materially better for so many temporary power applications—including events. The benefits we saw in disaster response ring true for concerts and festivals everywhere:

• Less Fuel, Lower Costs: Using energy storage cuts diesel usage dramatically, saving money on fuel and reducing greenhouse emissions.

• Quieter, Better Experience: No more generator hum drowning out an acoustic set or buzzing through radio comms.

• Reduced Carbon Footprint: Fewer trucks hauling fuel. Less risk of spills or noxious fumes.

• Ease of Deployment: Quick to install, quick to dismantle—a perfect match for short-term events or pop-up activations.

Whether it’s an emergency base camp or a live music stage, these systems add real value by improving safety and health conditions, lowering costs, and enhancing the overall event experience.

Moving Forward

The wildfires are winding down, but the follow-up relief will take months, if not years. I’m thankful that Overdrive Energy Solutions could step in—alongside amazing partners like Footprint Project, Tesla Energy, #Setlife, Avon Rentals, Powertrip, and Mango Power—to help fill the gaps when they mattered most. This experience drives home what I’ve been saying all along: sustainable power solutions are not some future fantasy. They’re already here, they already work better in many scenarios, and they do so at a competitive cost.

For the Event Safety Alliance community, it’s a wake-up call to reexamine the old habits. If we can make a fire base camp cleaner, quieter, and easier to manage, imagine what we can do for our festivals, concerts, and tours. Let’s keep challenging the status quo, collaborating on cutting-edge solutions, and making our events (and our world) healthier and more resilient.