Helicopter Flights To Gauge Wildfire Danger By PG&E

REDWOOD CITY, CA — Pacific Gas & Electric is warning residents that helicopters will fly over residences at low elevations in the next few weeks to gauge wildfire safety in high-risk areas in the San Francisco Bay Area.

PG&E is using helicopters equipped with light detection and ranging, referred to as LiDAR technology, to help gather data and identify hazardous trees that have the potential of falling into power lines.

The effort is critical as the utility company's power lines in proximity to vegetation were deemed a major cause of at least last November's huge inferno that leveled the town of Paradise in Butte County — the state's deadliest, most destructive wildfire on record.

At the mid part of next week, these inspections are scheduled to take place in San Mateo County from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Currently, inspections are taking place or scheduled in the high-fire threat areas of the greater Bay Area including Santa Clara, Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

In PG&E’s service area, the LiDAR inspections will take place across the 25,200 miles of distribution lines in high fire threat areas, as defined by the California Public Utility Commission’s High Fire-Threat District Map. The LiDAR data will supplement our ground inspections by capturing imagery that can be analyzed, reveal patterns and identify risks. These inspections are in addition to PG&E’s annual patrols of all its overhead power lines and ground inspections.

The helicopters will be flying relatively low, along power lines at an altitude of 300 to 500 feet. PG&E will be making automated phone calls to notify residents ahead of the scheduled helicopter flights in their communities.

PG&e customers with questions about this project are encouraged to email PG&E at wildfiresafety@pge.com or call 877-295-4949. More information about our Community Wildfire Safety Program can be found at pge.com/wildfiresafety.