PG&E Mobilizes to Rebuild After California Wildfires

Dec. 5, 2017
california wildfires

The northern California wildfires inflicted $3 billion worth of damages, destroyed or damaged 14,000 homes, and killed 42 people, according to the Los Angeles Times. As the fires spread throughout the northern part of  the state, they also damaged Pacific Gas & Electric's (PG&E's) electric and gas facilities. In turn, PG&E de-energized the affected power lines, activated multiple emergency operations centers and called upon its linemen to work alongside first responders. 

To facilitate its response to the fires, PG&E established base camps in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake counties. Overall, PG&E deployed 4,300 workers, including mutual aid crews and PG&E employees, who worked around the clock to get the lights back on for their customers. Since the fires began on Oct. 8, PG&E restored power to all of the 359,000 affected electric customers who could safely receive electricity. The utility is now in the process of helping the communities to rebuild. 

About the Author

Amy Fischbach | Amy Fischbach, EUO Contributing Editor

Amy Fischbach is the Field Editor for T&D World magazine and manages the Electric Utility Operations section. She is the host of the Line Life Podcast, which celebrates the grit, courage and inspirational teamwork of the line trade.  She also works on the annual Lineworker Supplement and the Vegetation Management Supplement as well as the Lineman Life and Lineman's Rodeo News enewsletters. Amy also covers events such as the Trees & Utilities conference and the International Lineman's Rodeo. She is the past president of the ASBPE Educational Foundation and ASBPE and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from Kansas State University. She can be reached at [email protected]

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