NewsLocal News

Actions

PG&E crews work to maintain vegetation in high fire threat areas

Posted at 2:46 PM, Oct 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-02 18:45:32-04

PG&E crews are working to maintain vegetation and trim or remove trees located near power lines in areas of northern San Luis Obispo County considered “high fire threat areas.”

It is part of new CPUC vegetation and fire safety standards PG&E says were put into place at the end of 2017 and require power companies “to maintain greater vegetation clearances to increase the safety of overhead power lines in high fire-threat.”

Currently, tree trimming and removal work is taking place along Highway 46 west of Paso Robles and off Santa Rita Road between Paso Robles and Cambria.

After the work is complete, crews then bring the debris to an area off Vachelle Lane in San Luis Obispo where it’s broken down for safe disposal.

Under the new requirements, PG&E says there is a minimum four-feet of clearance they must maintain in high fire threat areas to increase the safety of overhead power lines in those locations. That’s an increase of 2.5 feet in some areas from the previous standards.