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Thursday, November 29, 2018

Calif. Agency Took Nine Years to Create Fire Map

Critics blast utility companies, policymakers for deadliest fire in state history

The California state agency charged with overseeing utility companies took nine years to develop a consistent statewide map designating areas at high risk for destructive power-line fires.

Seven of those years took place during outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown’s time in office and six were during the tenure of a president of a key state agency who resigned after a series of leadership scandals.

Longtime critics of the utility companies and their role in sparking some of the state’s worst wildfires are voicing new concerns after reports that PG&E’s transmission line malfunctioned minutes before the start of the Camp Fire, the deadliest, most destructive fire in the state’s history.

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The only thing that matters now is if the insurance companies will step up to the plate.

Anonymous said...

One thing that people don't understand is that the Volunteer fire Chiefs Association isn't the authority having jurisdiction in Wicomico County. Neither is the Volunteer Firemen's Association or the Salisbury Fire Department. The County Executive is and the county has just been letting the chief's association make decisions as a courtesy to them. At any time the County Executive can create a countywide fire and EMS department. It can be done with the stroke of a pen and there is nothing anyone can do about it. The county volunteers can get mad and claim they are not going to respond to any calls, but the Executive can cut off their funding. Chances are the volunteers will keep responding because that is why they joined. One thing to think about is all those volunteer departments that voted against Station 13 are the same ones that are scratching on calls on a daily basis. Eventually the county executive is going to have to do something about that.