There are at least three factors making fires both more intense and more
frequent in recent years:
1. Our power companies (including PG&E) have not been diligent about clearing
trees away from residential and HV lines. In my own neighborhood I've spotted
many houses with power feeds that are intertwined with tree branches. When I
do, I alert the home owners to the existence of a hotline for PG&E trimming
service.
2. Due to either negligence or budget problems, they're not replacing old
equipment fast enough. Like gas infrastructure, there are transmission towers
and poles 50 to 100 years old in active service.
3. Trees in California (and in the west, generally) have seen rapid increases
in die-offs due to extended drought, as well as bark beetles, sudden oak death
(SOD) and other infections. I travel around California often, and everywhere I
go I see patches of brown, dead trees in what used to be pristine forest.
Historically, bark beetle larvae were suppressed by winter freezes. But average
temperatures have been steadily rising. (First-hand experience: When we moved
to Belmont 25 years ago, we used to have a couple of days every winter with
lows below 30 degrees. Over the past three years the lowest I've seen was 39.)
As far as trees are concerned, it only takes a couple of degrees to shift the
balance. The larvae now survive most winters and reproduce furiously, eating
everything in sight. They're also able to migrate to higher elevations, getting
into more stands of trees.
Information on this phenomenon abounds, but one particularly good summary, from
Yale, can be found here:
https://e360.yale.edu/features/small-pests-big-problems-the-global-spread-of-bark-beetles
Of course we're used to disasters both man-made and natural in CA, and still we
persist :)
Wayne
N6KR
> On Nov 4, 2019, at 8:20 AM, Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> All public companies operate to benefit the investors/shareholders.
>
> That means balancing dividends and profits against things that may impact
> their bottom line like destroying customer assets and legal threats.
>
> SCE is no different, but they went more toward safety as a way to maximize
> shareholder value. Safe, happy customers with homes and assets pay their
> bills better than dead or burned-out ones.
>
> 73 -- Lynn
>
> On 11/3/2019 5:12 PM, Wes wrote:
>> I'm shocked to hear that PG&E would actually think to pay dividends to
>> investors who put their money at risk. The government of CA should put a
>> stop to this capitalist idea. and turn the management over to the MVD or the
>> bullet train people.
>> Wes N7WS
> ________________
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