October 10, 2017 – Today Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) crews will begin to assess damages from the high winds and wild land fires, with approximately 4,100 customers without power in Nevada County.
PG&E crews have been granted access into areas of the Lobo and McCourtney fires burn areas to assess damage to poles and powerlines. On Wednesday, PG&E crews will continue assessment and begin repairs in areas safe to access. Most of the areas without power are still under evacuation.
Nothing is more important than the safety of the public and our workforce. We are supporting first responders including CalFire and other agencies in their response to the multiple fires across Northern California. Our crews will be working 24/7 to support first responders and our customers and our thoughts and prayers go out to all those impacted by these fires.
PG&E has activated multiple emergency operations centers throughout our service area to facilitate our response to the fires in Northern California.
- Treat all downed power lines as if they are energized and extremely dangerous. If you see a downed power line, keep yourself and others well away from them and immediately call 911, then notify PG&E’s 24-hour emergency and customer service line at 1-800-743-5002.
The fires that started Sunday were most likely due to high winds toppling trees and branches onto power lines and transformers. Residents of the McCourtney fire heard loud bangs, the electricity went out and then they smelled smoke. In looking to mitigate fire issues in a world that will experience more severe winds, and rain storms which inevitably brings down trees surely we should be changing our electric infrastructure to be local, solar, and underground. We seem unwilling to address global warming, but we can address the hazards of a vulnerable electric supply grid.