PG&E press release:

In the next few days, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) contract crews will be working in Humboldt and Trinity Counties to conduct accelerated wildfire safety inspections of substations using helicopters. 

The helicopter inspections will complement and further enhance visual inspections by gathering information from the substations by capturing LiDAR data and photographs to determine if any repairs are needed. These inspections are part of the company’s wildfire safety efforts, implemented following the 2017 and 2018 wildfires as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce wildfire risks.

In Humboldt County, flights will occur over substations in the areas of Blue Lake, Willow Creek, Bridgeville, Fort Seward and Myers Flat. In Trinity County, flights will occur over substations in the areas of Lewiston, Wildwood, Hyampom and Mad River.

Depending on clear weather conditions, flights will occur between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Helicopters will be flying above the substation at an altitude from ground of no lower than 250 feet for 10 minutes or less and will follow all safety standards and Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

If property owners have any questions or want to check for PG&E’s presence in their community, please email wildfiresafety@pge.com. Additional information is available at pge.com/wildfireinspections.
PG&E inspection crews are conducting accelerated inspections of approximately 200 substations across the company’s service area.

This work is being done as part of the company’s Community Wildfire Safety Program and is in addition to its routine inspections and maintenance programs. These helicopter inspections are taking place across PG&E’s service area in locations that have been designated as at elevated or extreme risk of wildfire based on the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) High Fire-Threat District Map.