Fire probe of San Diego Gas and Electric sought

Two environmental organizations yesterday asked state regulators to openly investigate how power lines caused at least three of October's wildfires in San Diego County.

Last month, Cal Fire determined that the Witch Creek and Rice Canyon fires – which began the week of Oct. 21 and destroyed nearly 1,350 homes – were started by San Diego Gas & Electric Co. power lines.

The Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club asked for a “formal and public” investigation into exactly how the fires were started and whether SDG&E and other utilities took necessary steps to reduce fire risk.

Three lawsuits filed last month in San Diego Superior Court contend that SDG&E was negligent and did not maintain the required vegetation clearance around power lines.

“Our goal is to make sure power lines are made safe so that they never again are responsible for fires that do so much harm to people and nature,” said David Hogan, conservation director for the San Diego-based Center for Biological Diversity.

The California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates SDG&E and the state's other investor-owned power companies, says an investigation has already begun.

“We are working with state and federal investigators already to figure out whether any utilities contributed to the fires,” PUC spokeswoman Susan Carothers said.

SDG&E filed a petition in early November with the PUC to initiate a review of the regulations that govern overhead power lines to determine whether additional rules and regulations should be adopted, SDG&E spokeswoman Christy Heiser said.

Hogan, of the Center of Biological Diversity, said any investigations thus far are being conducted “behind closed doors” and that the public has not been given assurances that the results will acted upon.

By David Washburn
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Source: Article