Utility-Caused Fires in California ~95% of fires in California - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Utility-Caused Fires in California  ~95% of fires in California result from human activity, including operation of electrical transmission and distribution line and facilities  Nationwide, acreage burned in wildfires has increased while number of fires has decreased  Fires have become larger, harder to control, and concentrated in WUI areas  In California, wildfire cost and damage have increased since the 1980’s BUT acreage burned has not followed such a clear pattern  “Climate change is worsening fires in California” is an oversimplification *Please click upper left hand corner for additional speaker notes

Factors Contributing To Increase Cost And Damage Of Fires in CA  Temperature increasing  more, drier fuel load; longer fire season; longer burning fires  Land use changes  increased population living in the Wild Urban Interface (WUI)  Poor forest management  fire suppression, lack of prescribed burns

Acres burned per year in CA Source: National Interagency Fire Center

Wild Urban Interface  WUI = where development meets wild lands  Increases in destructiveness of fires can be largely attributed to increase in WUI  WUI has and continues to grow at rapid pace  ~1/3 U.S. homes are in the WUI, with 4,000 acres per day converting from wildland to WUI through residential development

WUI + Winds  Cedar Fire Fire re N Name Date Loca cation Cause Results Cedar Fire Oct. 25, San Diego Lost hunter started a signal fire 273,246 acres burned, 2820 structures destroyed, was largest 2017 County fire in California history until 2017

Winds and Fires  Foehn winds = dry, warm, down-slope wind  Year round offshore foehn wind phenomenon  Santa Ana Winds in southern California, Diablo Winds in Central/Northern California, Sundowner Winds in Santa Barbara  Santa Ana Winds  2003 Cedar Fire, San Diego County; 2003 Old Fire, San Bernardino County; 2007 Witch Fire complex, San Diego County  Diablo Winds  1964 Hanly Fire, Sonoma County; 1991 Tunnel Fire, Alameda County; 2017 Tubbs, Redwood Valley, Atlas Fires, Napa and Sonoma Counties, 2018 Camp Fire, Butte County  These wind events are a predictable and perennial part of the regional landscape  Diablo Winds were first reported in 1883

Monthly Frequency of Diablo Winds and average Live fuel moisture content (Dashed line) Source: San Jose State University Fire Weather Research Laboratory, available at: https://www.fireweather.org/blog/2018/10/5/diablo-winds-californias- critical-fire-weather-pattern

Investor Owned Utilities and Fires  Half of the most destructive fires in California’s history were caused by powerlines (including Thomas and Tubbs)  Between 2000-2006, thirty-six major fires were caused by power lines  Contact with vegetation is the main cause of an electric utility-caused fire BUT, one must consider how the conductor came into contact with vegetation  Equipment not built to spec and equipment not maintained are critical factors in the most destructive utility-caused fires  Climate change and winds are factors in fire risk and severity but are also used excuses by the IOUs PG&E tried to blame 2017 fires on “hurricane strength winds in excess of 75 mph in some cases” but peak wind gusts were 30 mph in Santa Rosa when the Tubbs Fire started and after ignition topped out at 41 mph, peak wind gusts were 32 mph in Napa when the Atlas Fire started

2017 PG&E-Caused Fires Fire re N Name Dat ate Location Cause use Resu sult Adobe Oct. 8, Sonoma Eucalyptus TREE REE fell onto 12 kV overhead conductors, Combined with Nuns Fire 2017 County conductors fell to ground and ignited fire Atlas Oct. 8, Napa, 2 ignition points: 1.Black Oak TREE REE fell onto 12 kV 51,624 acres burned 2017 Napa overhead conductor, conductor fell to ground and ignited 120 structures destroyed County fire, 2. Valley Oak TREE REE branch fell onto 12 kV overhead 6 deaths conductor which dropped sparks and molten metal to the ground igniting fire Cascade Oct. 8, Browns Two overhead conductors on 12 kV circuit slapped 9,989 acres burned 2017 Valley, together and dropped sparks or molten metal on the 264 structures destroyed Yuba ground igniting fire 4 deaths County Cascade + La Porte = Wind Cherokee Oct. 8, Oroville, Multiple Valley Oak TREE REE branches contacted a 12 kV 8,417 acres 2017 Butte overhead conductor, conductor fell to ground igniting fire 6 structures destroyed County Partrick Oct. 8, Napa, Coast Live Oak TREE REE fell onto 12 kV overhead conductors, Combine with Nuns Fire 2017 Napa conductors failed and started the fire. County

Fire re N Name Dat ate Location Cause use Results ts La Porte Oct. 8, Bangor, Valley Oak TREE EE branch fell onto 12kV overhead 6,151 acres 2017 Butte conductors, conductors fell to the ground igniting fire 74 structures destroyed County Cascade + La Porte = Wind Norrbom Oct. 8. Sonoma, Black Oak TREE REE fell onto PG&E 12 kV overhead Combined with Nuns 2017 Sonoma conductors which in turned failed and started the fire. County Nuns Oct. 8, Glen Ellen, Alder TREE REE stem fell on open wire secondary overhead 56,556 acres burned 2017 Napa conductors which in turned failed and ignited the fire. 1355 structures destroyed County 3 deaths Pocket Oct. 8, Geyserville Valley Oak TREE EE fell onto 12 kV overhead conductors 17,357 acres 2017 Sonoma which in turn failed and started the fire. 6 structures destroyed County Potter/ Oct.8, Potter Two ignition points: 1. Valley Oak TREE REE branch fell onto 36,523 acres burned Redwood 2017 Valley, 60 kV overhead transmission conductor, conductor fell to 546 structures destroyed Mendocino ground igniting fire, 2. Valley Oak TREE REE branch fell onto 9 deaths County 12 kV conductor, conductor fell to the ground, igniting fire Loco Investigation report still confidential McCourtn Investigation report still confidential ey

Fire re Dat ate Location Cause use Results ts Name me Sulphur Oct. 8, Lake County Wood pole fell igniting fire 2,207 acres 2017 162 structures destroyed Tubbs Oct. 8, Calistoga, *CalFire says private party fault, victims claim downed 6,807 acres 2017 Napa conductors caused, cause is going to trial 11,272 structures County destroyed 22 deaths Youngs Oct. 8, Healdsburg, Valley Oak TREE EE fell onto 12kV overhead conductors igniting fire 89 acres 2017 Sonoma County 37 Fire Oct. 9, Sonoma, Unknown – likely transmission line caused 1,660 acres burned 2017 Sonoma County Point Oct. 9, Calaveras Valley Oak TREE EE limb fell onto 12 kV overhead conductor, 130 acres 2017 County conductor fell to ground igniting fire 19 structures destroyed Oakmont Oct. Santa Rosa, Douglas Fir TREE REE uprooted and fell onto 12 kV overhead Joined with Nuns / Pythian 13, Sonoma conductors, conductors fell to the ground igniting fire. 2017 County

2018 PG&E-Caused Fire Fire re N Name Dat ate Location Cause use Results ts Camp Fire Nov. 8, Paradise, Butte 2 ignitions points: 1. transmission line conductor fell 153,336 acres burned 2018 County from tower, molten metal sprayed vegetation, igniting 18,793 structures the brush 2. VEGETATION making contact with PG&E destroyed distribution conductors 85 deaths Investigation report still confidential - referred to local law enforcement

CPUC Safety Enforcement Division Investigation 2017 Fires Alleged PG&E Violations:  Disposing of evidence  Wires (conductors) too close, made contact  Multiple Vegetation management failures “PG&E’s vegetation management procedures and practices including training and qualifications of inspectors and also identification and trimming/removal of defective vegetation may have been inadequate and led to the vegetation-related violations identified in the SED investigation reports.”

Decreasing IOU-caused Fire Risk – SDG&E  In 2007, SDG&E caused a fire-storm during an October Santa Ana Wind event . Fire re N Name Dat ate Location Cause use Resu sult Witch Oct. 21, San Diego Conductors slapping together on a 69 kV Combined 2007 County transmission line, sparks fell to ground 197,990 acres burned igniting fire 1650 structures destroyed 2 deaths Guejito Oct. 21, San Diego Cox cable equipment failed and came into 2007 County contact with 12 kV conductor, sparks fell to ground igniting fire Rice Oct. 22, San Diego Tree fell on conductors after SDG&E 2007 County  SDG&E upgraded its equipment i.e. higher strength conductors, increasing space between lines; installed weather stations and cameras throughout its territory; increased inspections and maintenance on existing lines; developed new technologies i.e. sensors to deenergize failed conductors

Utility-Caused Fire Risk Reductions Techniques  Undergrounding  Equipment upgrades – insulated wires/covered conductors, remotely disabled automatic reclosers  Local, distributed power  less lines  Monitoring condition of facilities and equipment and maintaining/replacing aging equipment  Cameras and weather stations  Vegetation management  De-energization