OMG if true. Allegedly a PGE power line is suspected of starting the Dixie Fire. It was going to be BURIED. BURIED?

But PG&E claimed that they DID clear all trees and vegetation at least 50-100 feet around ALL of their lines (they even sent out letters boasting about it).  Yet I can look out my window and STILL see trees growing into the lines - even though many of these trees were clearly marked for removal 2 years ago.  When I asked about it, they claimed they didn't have the right equipment to drop them.  I've watched them drop even larger trees (same tree removal company), so they DO have the equipment.

You mean a company lied... I am shocked. 

From what I have read the company sounds like it needs to be broken up into smaller companies so the upkeep is easier to monitor. 

I fully agree.  But there's lot of money at stake.  PG&E is big and has a lot of clout.  That's why they still exist even after causing the Camp Fire as wel as many other massive fires.  They've already admitted they started the Dixie fire.  But a court must make it official.

:):):)

:):):)

:):):)

Geez! I wonder will there be any fires started purposefully? I hope not but you never know. Are you on the verge of being evacuated Shuhak? How close are those fires? Praying and hoping isn't enough. What is? What will be? This is a hard way to live life...on tenterhooks. We haven't been there...yet. You've been there more than once. HOw do we stop it? Thank you for your reply Northern California fires hit the news DAILY. That's not the kind of fame anyone wants. :( Happy Thursday to you and yours m'dear. Fingers crossed. :)

Of course there are.  back in July we had a lady who was going around setting fires.

I'm not on any evacuation list.

(roughly) I'm 100-150 miles south of the Dixie fire.  10-15 miles north-northwest from the river fire, and 60-70 miles east of the Glen fire.  Of course a new fire seems to pop up every day and .. we haven't even come to the windy fall months (when PG&E shuts off the power.

The new policy of putting out every fire is helping.  When on pops up they are ON IT!  When the Glen fire was at just a few acres, they called in everything!  Numerous air Tankers (all sizes) and helicopters, ground crew and equipment...   and they slammed it.  Still it's only at 10% containment.  Of course what the public thinks of when they hear "containment" isn't the same as firefighters see it.  

What was the basis for letting fires just burn themselves out Shuhak? That it would be a GOOD thing to do? I never understood that. Well I'm glad so far RIGHT NOW you are not being asked to evacuate. May it stay that way. Besides being evil nutjobs why do people purposely start fires? To watch things others have that they don't get destroyed? Some weirdness inside the head that makes think it's a great thing to do? Getting back at society for what they aren't? Especially obscene are the fires started intentionally by firefighters so they can swoop in, come to the rescue, be hero! Thank you for your reply! :)

Believe it or not, fire is a good thing.  Fire is necessary to keep a forest functioning.  In fact, some trees can't propagate unless they're burned (their seed cones).  Letting a fire burn is (should be) a way to let forests manage themselves.  Unfortunately, people have moved into the forests.  So when a forest burns, so do they.  
Our forests have major problems and WE'RE the ones responsible! 
1. Environmentalists have complained so much that it's extremely hard do anything in the forest (save the spotted owl, save the humpbacked toad).  Gotta keep their 'environment" pristine. 
2. Money!  Logging isn't profitable.  Almost every lumbemill has shut down (we get a lot of our wood from Canada).  To make it profitable they must clear-cut.  Clear cutting leaves a large naked scar.  When rains come, they wash away the soil (no roots let to hold it) creating a big problem (landslides, dirt in rivers, no soil left for seeds to regrow).  Forest service says thin, don't clear cut.  Login companies say its clear cut or nothing.
3.  Drought comes along (like it always has along the west coast) and trees die or are too weak to ward off insects like bark beetles. They become fuel for humongous fires.  Fires create smoke.  Plants and trees can't breathe smoke (just like us), so many die, thus creating even more fuel. 
4.  Trees respire and create shade.  Both of these help cool down the environment (which feels cooler to you, a forest or a parking lot?) Dead trees can't respire,thus allowing the ground beneath the to warm under the sun, thereby making it dry out faster than had it not been exposed to the sun.  Warmer and drier soil takes more moisture to keep nearby plants alive.  When droughts come there's little rainfall to help replenish soil moisture, so the warmer it gets.

They said that they should go through the forests and remove all the dead or beetle infested trees well over 8 years ago.  They got a few on the peripheries, but getting the rest wasn't economical.  So now Mother Nature is doing the job we refused to do.  I wonder which costs more, thinning out the dead trees when they had a chance, or all these fires? Not even taking into account the toll from all the smoke on humans, animals and plants.

After reading your very informative detailed lengthy reply you know occurred to me? I'm sure glad I'm not a tree in a forest. I know. Where did THAT come from? I don't know but it's what popped into my head so of course I'm sharing it. I don't know if the following "what if" can be answered but here goes. "What if" there never had been homo saps at all? All other animal life would exist. Just not us. What would the planet be like? Do other animals cause harm or just us? Is it because we are dumber or meaner or more selfish or more thoughtless? Thank you for your reply Shuhak. Oh. Years ago when we moved to Massachusetts where we lived for 5 years our apartment faced a small forest of trees across the street. It was SO BEAUTIFUL when it snowed. You should have seen it. Well they built homes there Cleared that patch of land for houses. Guess how beautiful THAT was? Exactly right. Without homo saps those trees would have remained there. Of course no human eyes would be around to appreciate it. :( This post was edited by RosieG at August 14, 2021 11:55 AM MDT

That varies from area to area....
Every town/big city I have been to had above ground lines.  

The only buried ones I have encountered were in the country (county) where the property owners did not want to cut down any trees for the electic line.

Here in NYC, all utility lines are buried. That really complicated the construction of the subway system starting around 1900. We also get street flooding when a water main breaks, which happens several times a year.

I think gas, phone and water/sewer are all underground but electric above in this area.  My guess is it is cheaper to install the lines above than underground. 

No doubt.