MENDOCINO CO., 7/27/21 — Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) will be sending out contractor crews to remove some of the larger trees they previously cut down during efforts to turn the power back on after the August Complex and and Oak fires of 2020, due to hazards they posed to workers or electrical equipment.
At that time crews were chipping tree trunks less than four inches in diameter but leaving larger downed trees intact. Nearly a year later, they remain on site at many locations, so arrangements have been made to come back and dispose of those trees based on feedback received from the public.
Property owners who had trees cut down by PG&E in connection with those two wildfire incidents have until August 24 to contact the utility and opt-in.
“If they believe they qualify for the wood removal they can call us at 800-295-4949 or email [email protected],” Contreras said.
Crews are expected to start work in mid-August and finish work sometime this summer.
Here’s the announcement from PG&E:
To Better Serve Our Customers and Communities, PG&E Will Begin Removal of Trees That Were Cut Down in the North Coast for Safety During the 2020 Oak Fire and August Complex Fires
EUREKA, Calif. — In response to customer and community requests, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) listened and will soon start dispatching crews to gather wood that was cut down following the Oak Fire and August Complex Fire in 2020.
After the Oak and August Complex Fires, PG&E crews and contract vegetation management crews worked to restore power safely and quickly to customers. This included inspecting and cutting down hazardous trees that posed a potential safety risk to work crews or electric equipment. This work was done in coordination with CAL FIRE and other agencies responding to the wildfires.
After completing tree work, crews chipped wood that was less than four inches in diameter and spread the chips on-site, where possible. Because wood is considered the property of the landowner, any wood larger than four inches in diameter was left onsite. There is no legal or regulatory requirement to remove large-diameter wood, since it is the property of the landowner.
In response to customer and community feedback, crews will return to those sites and dispose of the large-diameter wood that PG&E crews cut down for safety following the 2020 wildfires, if safely accessible and approved by the property owner.
PG&E has already completed the inventory portion of this work, which included contacting and working directly with customers who have wood that qualifies for the program. PG&E currently plans to begin removing wood in mid-August, with the goal of completing work this summer.
PG&E contractor crews will be performing this work and will carry identification to provide upon request. Customers who have questions about the Wood Management Program in 2020 wildfire areas should call 1-877-295-4949.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.