The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA (https://mendovoice.com/2017/05/pge-firesafety/)
PG&E donates to two fire safety projects in Mendo
By Mendo Voice Staff | May 10, 2017
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MENDOCINO Co., 5/10.17 — Pacific Gas & Electric is donating $22,500 to the Mendocino County Fire Safe Council to support two fire safety projects one in Redwood Valley and one in Caspar, out of more than $2 million contributed towards fire safety projects in 21 California counties. The Mendo projects include clearing brush from the Black Bart Trail in Redwood Valley, and removing vegetation from beneath the PG&E lines in Caspar. This is the fourth year PG&E has contributed to fire safety projects across the state.
The Black Bart Trail Project is intended to remove vegetation that could cause wildfires along the main Redwood Valley community access road. The Caspar project is designed to clear invasive gorse plants, which can be highly flammable, from beneath PG&E lines.
Fire season officially started on May 1, and local fire departments and CalFire are encouraging residents to ensure their property is surrounded by defensible space as the temperatures warm up. Due to recent years of drought, tree mortality rates are very high, and despite a wet winter and spring, fire safety professionals are concerned about the high fuel load that has developed.
"The Mendocino County Fire Safe Council thanks PG&E for providing funding for these two projects that will help protect our communities from the devastating effects of wildfire," said Mary Mayeda, program director for the Mendocino County Fire Safe Council in a May 10 press release.
"The safety of the communities we serve is the top priority for PG&E and we are committed to support local wildfire prevention efforts in Mendocino. This collaboration among PG&E, CAL FIRE and the Mendocino County Fire Safe Council will help ensure that the communities we serve can prevent and are prepared for wildfires," said Carl Schoenhofer, senior manager of PG&E's Humboldt division.
To combat the impacts of the drought on tree mortality and to help local communities prevent wildfires, PG&E runs several programs to ensure power lines are clear of trees, assists with clearing dead trees due to high drought mortality rates, and regularly flies over power lines to ensure the area is clear. According to the May 10 press release, this summer "PG&E will fly five planes over routes in the daytime, which is when fires are most likely to spark." Last year, PG&E claims to have detected and reported more than 140 fires in this process.
Last year, the agency "removed more than 236,000 dead or dying trees last year to prevent them from contacting power lines, starting wildfires or contributing to other public safety risks. This is in addition to the 1.2 million trees that PG&E works each year" as part of regular power line and fire safety maintenance.
PG&E, Mendocino Fire Safe Council Join Forces to Combat Wildfire Risk
UKIAH, Calif.—Even though the drought emergency is over, the damage has already been done. The drought and bark beetle infestation have killed more than 100 million trees in California, and U.S. Forest Service scientists expect elevated levels of tree mortality to continue this year in some areas. That's why Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is working with Fire Safe Councils across its service area to reduce the threat of wildfire. The company is awarding $2 million in funding to local Fire Safe Councils, including $22,500 to the Mendocino County Fire Safe Council.
This year, PG&E will be funding 43 local Fire Safe Council and other 501(c)3 projects in 21 counties. The two funded projects in Mendocino County include:
Black Bart Trail Fuel Reduction – To clear vegetation that could fuel wildfires along the main community road in Black Bart Trail, a community located in Redwood Valley.
Caspar Community Gorse Abatement – To remove gorse, an extremely flammable and invasive plant, underneath PG&E power lines located in the community of Caspar.
"The Mendocino County Fire Safe Council thanks PG&E for providing funding for these two projects that will help protect our communities from the devastating effects of wildfire," said Mary Mayeda, Program Director for Mendocino County Fire Safe Council.
This is the fourth consecutive year PG&E has funded local Fire Safe Council projects to help residents protect their homes, communities and the environment from wildfire. Many of the projects are focused on creating fuel breaks and emergency access to help CAL FIRE and local fire departments safely fight wildfires when they do occur.
Working to Reduce Wildfire Threat
PG&E is working hard to reduce the threat of wildfires. The company inspects all of its overhead electric lines each year, and also inspects trees along power lines in high fire-danger areas twice a year. As a result of these inspections, PG&E removed more than 236,000 dead or dying trees last year to prevent them from contacting power lines, starting wildfires or contributing to other public safety risks. This is in addition to the 1.2 million trees that PG&E works each year.
The company also created a dead tree wood clean-up program to help its customers. PG&E will manage the wood on property or haul away wood from dead trees felled by the company to protect powerlines, at no cost to the homeowner, in qualifying counties where tree mortality is high. The wood is sawn for use as lumber or chipped for use in biomass facilities to generate renewable energy.
As part of its summer fire detection patrols, PG&E will fly five planes over routes in the daytime, which is when fires are most likely to spark. Last year, PG&E detected and reported more than 140 fires, supporting a quick response to fires before they spread.
Barn to yarn at Hopland Research and Extension Center (press release)
Roads and weather, May 11