PG&E will soon start dispatching crews to gather wood from trees in Contra Costa County that was cut down and left on-site in 2020.
After the SCU Complex Fire in the Bay Area, PG&E crews and contract vegetation management crews cut down hazardous trees that posed a potential safety risk to work crews or electric equipment.
After cutting down the trees, 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, PG&E says any wood larger than four inches in diameter was left onsite.
In response to complaints, crews will return to those sites and dispose of the large-diameter wood that PG&E crews cut down following the 2020 wildfires.
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.
13 comments
I am probably the only one who thinks this but here goes. If you own a tree that grows up into power lines you should be charged for the cost to correct the problem. If you or the city or the county planted a tree that grows into power lines why should PG&E pay to remove it?
Not the only one.
EXACTLY. That’s common sense but who has that anymore???
I second that
I feel they planted it, And there is a problem, They should be responsible!!
Kimber – you’re exactly right unfortunately
Karen – sure if they did planted it, chances are they didn’t though
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Let’s be real… the crews left the large timbers to save time and cost.
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PG&E couldn’t be THAT dumb could they? Leaving a whole bunch of cut down trees to dry out?
Now THAT’s just dumb. Nobody thought past the cutting down part of the trees? Must’ve been some Harvard or Yale educated Social Justice PHD calling the shots!
So this depends. If a tree on your property falls on someone else’s stuff “House, Car or anything else” Then that landlord is responsible. BUT. If a tree falls on power lines, then the electric utility company that owns the lines is generally responsible for repairing them and restoring power. So this is PG&E that has to take care of the issue for power.
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Depends.
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Depends on where the tree is located – inside or outside a utility easement. Read your property title and disclosures. Ya know, that document 99 percent of you didn’t bother to read.
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Liability also depends on the circumstances on what caused the tree to fall – negligence, winds, etc.
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See… the answer is not so cut and dry.
Now if if can get someone to go back onto the CNWS and remove dead trees right near adjacent homes we will be happy as well.
… who made the rule of 4 inches?
“In response to complaints, crews will return to those sites and dispose of the large-diameter wood that PG&E crews cut down following the 2020 wildfires.”
It appears that PG&E will not be changing much of their practices. They will continue to grind up stuff that’s less than four inches in diameter and leave the shreddings on site. They will also continue to leave the stuff that’s four or more inches in diameter on site. If you then complain about the larger pieces of timber then PG&E will return and remove those pieces. I don’t think the truck mounted grinders can handle the larger pieces and so they will need to be trucked either to a disposal site or to a mill that has the equipment.
Overall, this seems reasonable. Large pieces of timber lying on the ground are not a fire hazard. PG&E mitigated the fire hazard which was the small timbers and kindling. Many property owners will allow the larger pieces to decompose in place or will deal with it themselves. They won’t call PG&E.
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