PG&E is accelerating vegetation management work in Magalia and other areas in Butte County with high fire risk in response to recent and increasing wildfire threats in the state.
The utility company began work in Magalia on Monday, said Paul Moreno, a PG&E spokesman. This is part of a larger effort across the company’s service area to cut down fire hazards.
State law mandates that utility companies keep a certain distance between their power lines and surrounding vegetation. Four feet of separation around power lines in high fire-risk areas is required. A minimum 12-foot clearance at the time of the trim is recommended to ensure year-round compliance, which is what PG&E will be doing, Moreno said.
This comes as 84 large fires have burned nearly 1.4 million acres nationally this year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center, and PG&E has been taking heat over its role.