Grants Help Fund 10 Projects in 8 Counties

The work of local California Fire Safe Councils (FSCs) is critical to strengthening the safety and preparedness of local communities in areas of extreme fire risk. That’s why Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is supporting eight FSCs with a total of $250,000 for projects aimed at reducing the threat of wildfires.

“We are working every day with our customers and communities to manage trees and other vegetation located near powerlines and equipment that could cause a wildfire or power outage. But we can’t do it alone,” said Peter Kenny, PG&E Senior Vice President of Vegetation Management and System Inspections. “That’s why our long-standing partnership with local Fire Safe Councils, and our shared goal of keeping our communities safe, is essential.”

Grants from PG&E will go toward ten projects in eight counties that are to be completed by the end of the year. PG&E has provided more than $17 million in funding to support local FSCs in their efforts to improve fire safety since 2014.

“The California Fire Safe Council appreciates the empowerment the grants from PG&E have provided our groups to help them create safer and more resilient communities,” said Interim Executive Director, Bruce Martin, of the California Fire Safe Council.

Typical FSC projects include reducing fuel, creating fuel breaks, and improving fire evacuation routes and emergency access roads.

“With funding from PG&E, Napa County, and donations from local fundraisers, we’re able to create roadside fuel breaks where powerlines run overhead on Conn Valley Road,” said Mike Wilson, Vegetation Program Manager for Napa Communities Firewise Foundation, a nonprofit which received a total of $50,000 from PG&E this year. “Working with a local contractor, we’re also clearing the roadside at an intersection known as the Four Corners, near Angwin, to make the area safer for the public and first responders in the event of an evacuation.”

California, Oregon, and Washington, along with several other western states, continue to experience an increase in wildfire risk and a longer wildfire season. Nearly one-third of the electric lines that provide PG&E customers with power are now in High Fire-Threat District (HFTD) areas, as designated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

For the many ways PG&E works with customers and communities to manage trees and other vegetation located near powerlines, visit www.pge.com/trees.

Local Fire Safe Councils and 501(c)(3) Organizations Receiving PG&E Funding for Projects

For tips and checklists on preparing for an emergency and wildfire season, visit the PG&E Safety Action Center at www.safetyactioncenter.pge.com.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.

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