As part of its enhanced response to this year’s wildfire season, Pacific
Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has completed daily air patrols to help
detect fires in four regions in Northern and Central California and
along the Central Coast. During the four months PG&E operated the
flights as part of its drought emergency response, the patrols spotted
146 fires and in 25 instances were the first to report the fire to CAL
FIRE or the United States Forest Service. Early detection of smoke or
fire allowed fire agencies to quickly respond to accurate locations and
put out fires before they spread.
The daily air patrols began on June 15 and were scheduled to conclude on
October 15. However, due to continued warm temperatures, PG&E extended
the flights through October 31. The utility used four fixed-wing
aircraft to fly from Redding to Auburn in the north, Auburn to Auberry
in the central valley, Monterey to Solvang along the central coast, and
in Mendocino County on the north coast. The patrols flew from 2 p.m.
until dusk – the time of day when wildfires are most likely to ignite
because hot, dry weather is at its peak.
“We are working hard to help reduce the risk of wildfire during this
prolonged drought. Through these daily air patrols, we’ve been able to
help CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest Service identify fires in remote areas
and to put them out quickly,” said Barry Anderson, PG&E vice president
of emergency preparedness and response.
”The earlier we can get our firefighting resources to the scene of a
wildfire, the better chance we have of saving lives, property and our
state’s natural resources,” said Chief Dave Teter, CAL FIRE’s Deputy
Director of Fire Protection. “PG&E’s daily air patrols over these past
few months were appreciated, especially as we faced critical fire
conditions fueled by the ongoing drought.”
CAL FIRE has responded to more than 6,000 wildfires this year, scorching
more than 300,000 acres. El Niño may bring some relief this winter, but
forecasters predict it won’t be enough to end the four-year drought.
California fire season can last six to eight months, and some parts of
the state are vulnerable year-round.
In addition to the daily air patrols, PG&E has taken a number of steps
to prevent wildfires as part of its drought emergency response plan
including:
-
Conducting enhanced ground and air patrols to inspect, prune or remove
dead or dying trees that could fall into power lines and spark a fire.
This includes use of LiDAR (Light Detecting and Ranging) and spectral
imagery patrols.
-
Funding $2 million to 19 local Fire Safe Councils for fuel reduction,
emergency access and defensible space projects.
-
Funding remote cameras in lookout towers for early fire detection.
PG&E is also supporting CAL FIRE's One
Less Spark, One Less Wildfire and Prepare
for Bark Beetle public awareness campaigns. According to CAL FIRE,
more than 90 percent of all wildfires in California are sparked by
people, and therefore preventable. In addition, bark beetles are killing
millions of trees in California, greatly increasing the risk of
wildfire. Homeowners can reduce risk by removing dead trees on their
property and properly maintaining healthy trees by pruning and watering
as necessary.
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/
and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.
http://www.pgecurrents.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pacificgasandelectric
https://twitter.com/pge4me
http://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-gas-and-electric-company
http://www.youtube.com/user/pgevideo
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151104006524/en/
Copyright Business Wire 2015