USA: Cutting power before wildfires can save lives, but PG&E says ‘it’s complicated'
By Liz Wagner and Robert Campos
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Research [by Craig Clements and Carrie Bowers] shows that Diablo Winds happen most often in October, at the time ground fuels are driest. The combination sets the stage for extreme fire. The 50-plus-mph winds can topple electrical poles and power lines, which can ignite dry brush on the ground. Investigators from Cal Fire concluded that 12 of the blazes in last October’s North Bay fires were caused by PG&E’s electrical lines or other equipment.
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One way to combat the devastating effects of the windstorms – and potential fires – is to shut off power before the lines get blown down.
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But despite ample warning of extreme fire hazards in the fall of 2017, PG&E did not preventively cut power in the North Bay.
The company declined NBC Bay Area’s request for an interview, but in a statement said:
“Proactively turning off power is a highly complex issue with significant public safety risks on both sides – all of which need to be carefully considered and addressed. Years of drought, extreme heat and a record number of dead and dying trees are transforming the state and creating a ‘new normal.’”
The company added: "De-energizing lines can have an immediate and very broad impact on public safety, affecting first responders and the operation of critical facilities such as hospitals, the provision of water and other essential services, traffic signals, communications systems, operation of building systems such as elevators, and much more. In other words, decisions to proactively turn off power lines requires balancing of one safety risk against another.”
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