Uh Oh SDGE part Deux

Previously on Uh Oh SDG&E: The California State Fire Agency blamed sparking power lines for the start of some wildfires in San Diego. Lawsuits were explored. Reader Owen B wrote an interesting comment in response to the news. We waited...

And now the North County Times explores the (possible) fallout from the revelations. Who is to blame?

As tempting as it is to assign blame, a spark is just one factor in any fire. Without hurricane-strength Santa Ana winds, the fire would never have spread at the speed it did. Combined with drought conditions and high temperatures, a brush fire that would normally only burn a few acres became a wildfire that burned a whole county. Those factors are beyond the control of SDG&E.That's not to say there aren't things that SDG&E should do to improve its fire prevention efforts. Although an expensive option, putting power lines underground may make sense in some areas. The utility could also start switching out old wood utility poles with steel ones. This is already being done as the utility replaces poles destroyed by the most recent fires.SDG&E should also start sharing an extensive database it uses to keep tabs on 386,000 trees (adjacent to its 18,000 miles of powerlines) with CalFire and other authorities. This was something recommended six years ago, but CalFire claims it doesn't have access to that information.

Or we can just listen to My San Diego reader OwenB: When wind velocity reaches a certain degree where power lines become endangered from falling trees the power company has the ability to turn off the power to specifically targeted areas by simply turning a switch in their control center. The same switch cam turn the power back on. Prior to restoring power the company has the ability to test the line for falling trees easily and quickly from the same switching stations.

Preach it, teach it...

Uh Oh SDG&E

Californi's State Fire Agency blamed sparking power lines for the Witch Creek and Rice Canyon fires that ravaged San Diego last month. From the AP:

All three fires are in the service area of San Diego Gas & Electric Co., which serves 3.4 million customers in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The company, a unit of San Diego-based Sempra Energy, says it adhered to regulations in maintaining the low-voltage power lines that caused the fires. "We believe at the time of the fires our power lines were in compliance with all regulations," said spokeswoman Stephanie Donovan. "When we have the kind of extreme conditions we faced here in San Diego at the end of October, it creates a huge hazard for everybody, including the electrical system."

So far two families have filed a suit against SDG&E, saying that power poles were not clear of brush and were not insulated to prevent sparking. And with SDG&E saying they "believe" they were in compliance, well they aren't saying they are "sure" or they "know"...

It's time to conserve power!

Turn off all your lights, read this blog, quit with the cooking and dishwashing and hair straghtening (but keep the blog, cause, come on you don't want to fall behind).

Fires have created a "power island" surrounding one of the last major power sources in San Diego, threatening to consume it. It looks like they may have to shut it down and they are asking for San Diegans to conserve power.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders implored residents to cut power use.
"You've got to conserve today. You have no choice," Sanders said.

You heard me (or Mayor Jerry Sanders rather) shut off that TV already and get your kicks, well not outside cause air quality is so bad, or at restaurants cause they should have to conserve power too, or... well, how about you just stay in with a good blog (ahem) and a cup o' joe (cold joe of course cause you don't want to use that microwave now do you).

But *and say it with me now folks* we're still doing SO MUCH BETTER than Katrina! (Apples, I thought I told you to play nice with oranges!)