CLEARLAKE >> With evacuations lifted and residents repopulating areas affected by the Sulphur Fire, safety officials want to make sure people are taking the right steps before trying to use appliances.
At each town hall meeting held for fire updates all last week, representatives from local fire districts, Cal Fire, PG&E, and AmeriGas reminded the public that safety measures should not be taken lightly.
The conversation on power restoration became more common by Thursday of last week when the fire was reported to be 55-percent contained.
PG&E Local Superintendent Ron Richardson said over 150 personnel were addressing downed lines. A total of 52 polls lost 62 spans of wire during the blaze.
PG&E workers re-energized areas located just outside the fire perimeters. In collaboration with Cal Fire, Richardson said they progressed restoration within those perimeters on Sunday.
“Thank you for letting us serve you,” said Richardson. “We will be here until the end of the fire and we will be here after the fire to help rebuild.”
The company continues to assess damage and restore customers’ gas and electric services in other areas affected by Northern California Wildfires, with base camps set in Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino. All areas combined, about 359,000 customers lost electric power and 42,000 faced gas service interruptions. On Tuesday evening, PG&E reported an approximate 31,000 customers were restored.
The process for electric restoration begins with damage assessment, which can take anywhere between 12 to 24 hours. After equipment repairs and coordinated restoration is pinpointed, workers will re-energize homes and businesses when it is safe to do so and access is permitted. Based on the extent of damage and complexity of the job, PG&E reported that restoration can typically take up to 24 to 48 hours. For natural gas services, assessments may begin immediately and are usually completed within 24 hours of access. Workers are responsible for turning meters on at every structure to ensure a safe operation. At this stage, customers should be present, Richardson said.
Regardless if homes were inside or around the fire perimeters, AmeriGas Propane District Manager John Garcia advice to have professionals turn on pilots before attempting to use any appliance.
“We do not want another disaster on top of what we have,” said Garcia. “Please call your local suppliers. They will come out and do a safety check to make sure it is safe.”
A delay for all those without service is caused when individuals attempt to restore their own service. If this is the case, professionals encourage people to call their gas and electric providers to provide a safety check.
With the Sulphur Fire at 92-percent containment as of Wednesday morning, gas and electric suppliers are still working to reach complete restoration for all those affected.
“We’ve been here for you throughout the fires. Your propane company will be there for you too. Just give them a call,” said Garcia.
AmeriGas Propane customers are advised to call 707-263-5438. PG&E customers can call 800-743-5000 to receive a safety check or schedule a re-light.
