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Transcript of PG&E Report to California PUC 7/18/2021
PG&E report to the California Public Utilities Commission on July 18, 2021, about the possible cause of the Dixie Fire
Five days after the Dixie Fire started burning in the Feather River Canyon, PG&E reported that one of their employees observed two blown fuses and a tree leaning into a conductor in a densely forested area near the Cresta Dam, with what could have been the first blaze of the Butte County fire burning at the base of the tree. The worker removed the third fuse at risk of blowing and reported the fire to his supervisor, who called 911. At that point, the fire had already grown too quickly to be contained.
On September 15, 2021, Singleton Schreiber announced two Dixie Fire lawsuits against PG&E for negligence in preventing the Dixie Fire. The Dixie Fire is the largest utility company wildfire and the second-largest ever wildfire in California state history. An experienced California wildfire attorney is essential in getting victims the compensation they deserve for their damages.
Click here for news coverage on the Singleton Schreiber Dixie Fire lawsuit against PG&E.
PG&E Report to PUC
Here is a transcript of the PG&E Report on the potential cause of the Dixie Fire submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission on July 18, 2021:
The Following information regarding this incident has been reported:
Reporting Date: 7/18/2021 11:23:37 PM
Incident Date: 7/13/2021 @ 7:00 a.m.
Reported By: [Redacted]
Utility Name: PG&E
Phone Number: [Redacted]
Email Address: [Redacted]
Incident Location:Storrie Road Belden, Plumas
Reasons For Reporting:
- Fatalities? No (Utility: , Others: )
- Names of Fatalities:
- Injuries? (Utility: , Others: )
- Names of Injured:
- Damage? No (Utility: , Others: )
- Interruption? (Total Customers: , Total Hours: )
- Operator Judgement? No
- Media Coverage? Yes
Cause of Incident: Other (Other Cause: )
Agencies on Scene: Fire,
Facilities Affected:
- Utilities Facilities: Bucks Creek 1101
- Voltage (KV): 12kV
- Customer’s Facilities:
DigIn Information:
- Excavator Name:
- Contact:
- Phone: (___)___
Incident Recovery:
- On Scene Date & Time: @ 00:00 a.m.
- Service Restored: @ 00:00 a.m.
Summary:
On July 13, 2021 at approximately 0700 hours, PG&E’s outage system indicated that Cresta Dam off of Highway 70 in the Feather River Canyon lost power. The responding PG&E troubleman observed from a distance what he thought was a blown fuse on the PG&E Bucks Creek 1101 12kV Overhead Distribution Circuit uphill from his location. Due to the challenging terrain and road work resulting in a bridge closure, he was not able to reach the pole with the fuse until approximately 1640 hours. There he observed two of three fuses blown and what appeared to him to be a healthy green tree leaning into the Bucks Creek 1101 12 kV conductor, which was still intact and suspended on the poles. He also observed a fire on the ground near the base of the tree. The troubleman manually removed the third fuse and reported the fire, his supervisor called 9-1-1, and the 9-1-1 operator replied they were aware of the fire and responding. CAL FIRE air support arrived on scene by approximately 1730 hours and began dropping fire retardant and water. In response to a CAL FIRE request, PG&E de-energized another section of the Bucks Creek 1101 12 kV line. In a 2045 hours status report, the CAL FIRE website stated the fire was approximately 1-2 acres; later that evening CAL FIRE reported the fire had grown to 10-15 acres and ground resources had problems accessing the area. According to the CAL FIRE website as of July 18, 2021 at 2007 hours, the Dixie Fire has burned approximately 19,000 acres and is 15 percent contained. The fire has generally burned in remote wildlands, and CAL FIRE has reported no property damage and one injury (according to a news report, CAL FIRE stated a firefighter suffered minor injuries and was able to walk away). On July 18, 2021, CAL FIRE investigators collected the following PG&E equipment: portions of the Bucks Creek 1101 12 kV line, including conductor, jumpers, insulators, and fuse cutouts, as well as portions of the tree. PG&E submits this report in an abundance of caution given CAL FIRE’s collection of PG&E facilities in connection with its investigation. PG&E is cooperating with CAL FIRE’s investigation and is reporting this to the CPUC under the media criterion. This information is preliminary.
