SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has begun daily aerial fire
patrols across hundreds of miles of its service area to assist state and
local fire agencies with early fire detection and response this summer.
The patrols, which will continue through October, will take place over
many fire-prone areas in PG&E’s service area including the Sierra Nevada
Mountains in Northern and Central California, in Mendocino County and
along the Redwood and Central Coasts.
In 2015, the second year of the patrols, PG&E planes spotted 146 fires
and, in 25 instances, PG&E was the first to report fires to CAL FIRE or
the U.S. Forest Service. Early detection of smoke or fire allowed those
agencies to respond more quickly and accurately and extinguish fires
before they spread.
PG&E funds the daily fire patrols as part of its comprehensive drought
emergency response plan. Using fixed-wing aircraft, fire spotters will
operate along five routes:
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Redding to Auburn in the Northern Sierra
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Auburn to Auberry in the Central Sierra
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Vacaville to Santa Maria near the coast
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Mendocino County
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Shasta, Humboldt, Tehama, Glenn, Colusa and Lake counties, west of the
Sacramento River (added for 2016)
Patrols will fly seven days a week from mid-afternoon until dusk—the
time of day when wildfires are most likely to ignite with hot, dry
weather at its peak. On days when potential for wildfires is heightened
and red-flag warnings are issued, PG&E will conduct special
vegetation-management ground patrols and add aerial patrols in the
designated red-flag geographies.
The patrols are coordinated through PG&E’s aerial operations. Spotters
report any smoke or fire they see to PG&E, CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest
Service, if it is on federal land.
"PG&E is committed to continue this very successful aerial fire-patrol
program as we partner with federal, state and local agencies to mitigate
the increased threat of wildfire as we’re seeing record tree mortality
caused by one of the most severe droughts in state history. We encourage
all of our customers to be prepared and have a plan in case of
emergencies," said Barry Anderson, vice president of electric
distribution for PG&E.
"The long-term impacts of the drought, combined with significant
bark-beetle damage, continue to be a major concern as we once again
enter the peak of California’s wildfire season. CAL FIRE has a robust
aerial firefighting program supporting our ground forces in their
efforts to keep 95 percent of fires at 10 acres or less. PG&E's
proactive patrols serve to enhance our efforts. Reporting wildfires is
everybody's responsibility and no one should assume somebody else has.
We appreciate the survey work PG&E does from the air, looking for
potential fire starts, especially in those areas most impacted by the
unprecedented tree mortality," said Chief Dave Teter, CAL FIRE deputy
director of fire protection.
In addition to its daily aerial fire patrols, PG&E is conducting
enhanced ground patrols on specific electrical circuits to inspect and
remove dead or dying trees that could fall into lines and spark a fire.
PG&E is also supporting CAL FIRE's "Prepare for Bark Beetle" public
awareness campaign. This month, PG&E will carry the message to 4 million
customers on their paper billing envelopes. Another 1.7 million
customers who receive e-bills will receive it as a bill insert.
Dead trees are an extreme fire danger because they allow wildfires to
spread rapidly. Recent reports have indicated that California is home to
as many as 29 million dead or dying trees. If you have dead or dying
trees on your property, the entire tree needs to be removed. Contact
PG&E before removing dead trees near power lines. You can learn more
about bark beetle and how to remove dead trees on your property through
CAL FIRE's public education effort Ready
for Wildfire.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas
and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco,
with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the
nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and
Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/
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View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160627006402/en/
Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company