SDG&E spending $3M to boost fire safety as another deadly wildfire season looms

San Diego Union-Tribune (CA)

Sept. 05--Since 2007, San Diego Gas & Electric reports it has invested about $1 billion of ratepayer dollars into fire safety.

And it's going to spend about $3 million more as the current fire season reaches its most deadly months, as dry conditions raise the chances of wildfire ignition.

The investor-owned utility announced Wednesday a host of new safety measures to help make sure ratepayers in its service territory across San Diego County and a portion of Orange County are better prepared for wildfire emergencies.

"With only 3 inches of rain in the last year, it's dry out there so it's important we continue to look for ways to mitigate the threat of wildfires," said Caroline Winn, SDG&E chief operating officer.

The enhancements this year include:

* Making the Erickson Aircrane available all year

The largest water-dropping helitanker in the country, the Erickson Aircrane holds 2,650 gallons of water or fire suppressant -- about five times what one fire engine can carry. Normally, SDG&E contracts to have the Gillespie Field-based aircrane on alert from August through November but the utility said that will be extended all year for dispatch by Cal Fire.

Cal Fire and County Fire Authority Chief Tony Mecham said the aircrane holds eight times as much water as the county's other firefighting helicopters. So far this year, the aircrane has made 217 drops compared to 102 drops in all of 2017.

"Every day, we have 2, 3, 4-acre fires somewhere in this country and we're putting these fires out," Mecham said. "We're being so much more pro-active in putting these fires out before they become big fires."

* New electric equipment to minimize customer outages

When an area gets its power shut off in high-fire threat areas, SDG&E engineers will now use better technology to "sectionalize" electric circuits that can reduce the number of customers affected in a shutoff by as much as 73 percent.

* Nine Community Resource Centers unveiled

After holding six community town halls earlier this year with residents living in fire-prone areas, SDG&E has established Community Resource Centers in nine locations where customers can go when circuits in their area have been shut off due to fire risk.

Working in partnership with the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program developed by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department after the devastating 2003 Cedar Fire, the Community Resource Centers will provide water, snacks and places to charge cellphones. The centers will be open when a power shutoff extends for more than 24 hours. Hours will vary, depending on each shutoff event.

The Community Resource Centers are in Warner Springs, Julian, Descanso, Mountain Empire, Lake Morena, Campo, Dlazura, Potrero and Jacumba.

SDG&E officials said enhancements came to about $3 million, although the utility would not disclose the estimated cost of making the aircrane available year-round, saying those figures were proprietary.

SDG&E has also launched a wildfire safety web page that includes 24/7 weather information and live views of areas under threat of fire. The link is www.sdge.com/wildfire-safety.

San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob has been a critic of SDG&E, saying the utility has been too quick to shut off power in the backcountry.

"Promises made in a press release are nice, but if SDG&E was serious it would abandon the dangerous shutoff plan," Jacob said in an email. "Residents pounded the utility with complaints when their power was cut, leaving them and public safety personnel vulnerable during a disaster. While I welcome any measures that further bolster fire protection in our backcountry, the fact remains that SDG&E should be doing far more to keep the region out of harm's way."

SDG&E boasts of operating the nation's largest utility-owned weather network in fire-prone areas. It includes a network of mountain-top cameras spread over the utility's service territory. This year, it has added seven more weather stations that compile readings for wind, humidity and temperature to its network, bringing the total to 177.

"The additional weather stations are important because it helps us understand the weather and the different microclimates we have all over San Diego," said Brian D'Agostino, director of fire science and climate adaptation at SDG&E. "If we really understand what the weather is doing in each individual neighborhood, we can start to minimize the impact that the weather could have on some of our customers."

The measures come as wildfires throughout California grow in frequency and size.

The Mendocino Complex Fire earlier this summer in Northern California was pronounced the largest wildfire in state history.

Five of the 20 most destructive fires recorded in California occurred in 2017, including the Wine Country fires and the Thomas Fire that led to the death of a San Diego firefighter.

And the Lilac Fire that ripped through North County broke out in December of last year, well outside the normal range of what is called fire season.

"We're having fires year-round," Mecham said. "Even in January and February ... It never slows down anymore."

The current fire season is off to a potentially deadly start. San Diego just experienced the hottest August on record and the area has experienced the second driest rainfall season on record, dating back to 1850.

Last year, the lack of moisture in fuel -- everything from trees, underbrush and dry grass -- set records last year and this year, Mecham said, the fuel moisture level is about 10 percent lower.

San Diego area fire officials have responded to 382 fires so far this year, compared to 212 at the same time last year.

"I look at these hillsides and the best analogy I can give you is, those hillsides are covered in gasoline," Mecham said. "And if we get an ignition and we get a little bit of wind, we are going to have a major fire in San Diego."

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