Pacific Gas & Electric Company representatives recently spoke in a virtual town hall about the security measures at the Humboldt County's utility company.
Over the past several years, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has taken a number of specific steps to improve customer service and strengthen the Wildfire safety program.
One step is to install weather stations that will provide specific data to help determine when a public safety power outage or PSPS event is required. PSPS events occur when certain power lines are shut down for public safety reasons due to extreme weather conditions. This is to prevent branches and other foreign bodies from coming into contact with live cables.
As of 2018, PG&E has installed 34 weather stations in Humboldt County, including one along Grizzly Bluff Road near Ferndale. Unless you're specifically looking for this weather station, you will likely pop by without realizing it.
It is connected to a PG&E roadside power pole and continuously transmits data that is used to improve forecasting and weather modeling. These weather stations provide temperature, wind speed and humidity data, which are monitored, recorded and evaluated by the PG & E meteorological team.
"As a real-time situational awareness tool, we can leverage our high-density weather observation network at the start of a public safety blackout event to assess whether or not critical fire conditions are occurring," said Ashley Helmetag, senior meteorologist at PG&E.
Additional weather stations are located on Ridgewood Drive, Island Mountain Road, Mattole Road and near Kneeland, Yager Junction, Bridgeville, Snow Camp Lake, Fort Seward and Fruitland.
Seven high resolution cameras have been installed in Humboldt County to detect forest fires. Two are in Bald Jesse near the Yager Valley, two in Patton Hill, east of Miranda, two in Mail Ridge, in the Alderpoint / Harris areas, and one in Barry Ridge in Kneeland.
Weather stations and cameras are located in areas of high fire risk as determined by the California Public Utilities Commission. These tiled areas are home to more than 7,100 Humboldt County's PG&E customers, with level 2 representing a high forest fire threat and level 3 representing an extreme forest fire threat.
PG&E also carried out vegetation management improvements along the 54-mile PG&E line in Humboldt County. In this part of the program, greater safety distances were established between power lines and the surrounding vegetation in areas with a high risk of fire.
"PG&E is prioritizing its forest fire safety work in the areas most exposed to forest fire risk and in places where the public safety impact of power outages is reduced for most customers," said Deanna Contreras, spokeswoman for PG & E.
PG&E also offers tips on how to prepare and protect homes from forest fires.
"You can dramatically improve your home's chances of surviving future wildfire through material choices, design and installation options, and regular maintenance," said Contreras.
The council includes creating a defensible space around a structure, keeping the gutters clean, and drawing up an evacuation plan.
For information and videos on preparing your home and family for the forest fire season, visit https://www.safetyactioncenter.pge.com. For more information on PG & E's forest fire safety program, please visit www.pge.com/cwsp .
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