Power Companies Use Fire Retardant on LA Power Poles to Protect Grid During Wildfires
WPBN: Several power companies in Los Angeles have begun to make efforts to stay ahead of the potentially explosive and erratic flames, seeking to limit additional hazards by clearing dry vegetation and preserving valuable power lines.
This is in response to the fact that multiple wildfires are still blazing across the county.
A number of power poles along the borders of the flames that are still burning, including the Palisades Fire along the Los Angeles Coast and the Eaton fire in the foothills above Pasadena and Altadena, have been the focus of their efforts for several days. They have stopped at as many of these poles as they could.
“We are way ahead from the fire,” said Connor Norton, one of the PG&E staff working in North Hollywood on Sunday. “We are really making forward progress.”
On the first step, they remove any dry shrubbery that is located in the vicinity of the poles. They make use of hoes and power tools in order to remove as much vegetation as they can that could potentially be hazardous to the electrical grid.
“Our job is to get out along the fire’s edge where the fire may go,” Rob Cone, also of PG&E stated.
They then utilize their vehicles to douse each power pole with fire retardant, which is the same substance that is dropped from above by airplanes that are used for firefighting responsibilities.
Additionally, they make an effort to spray the liquid into the cracks of each pole, with the goal of preventing embers from being trapped within and starting a fire. They strive to spray the substance as high up the pole as they possibly can.
“That way, if or when the fire does make it this way, we don’t have to worry about embers catching it,” Norton stated.
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Each of them is aware of the significance of the task, which makes the challenge that they are facing all the more satisfying.
“I enjoy this kind of work, even though I am covered in retardant, it’s fun,” Norton stated. “It is cool to see what we do actually pays off.”
The work that PG&E does, according to the company, has a success rate of 92% when it comes to keeping electrical lines from falling during a fire.
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According to Cones, the expense of replacing a street-side pole is more than twenty thousand dollars in the event that it is knocked down.
The ones that are situated on hillsides are considerably more expensive, with prices that exceed one hundred thousand dollars and necessitate the use of a helicopter.
“The power stays on, first responders get to do what they need to do,” Norton stated. “At the end of the day, more or less, everyone’s happy. … It is rewarding. You get a sense of accomplishment. We did something today, we did our part.”
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