Damaged Power Lines Blamed for Wildfires (travails of privatization)

[groovedaddy]

LOS ANGELES — A new report by state regulators has blamed improperly maintained power lines by two companies, one of which impeded investigators, for some of the most devastating wildfires in Southern California last year.

The report, by investigators for the California Public Utilities Commission, concurs with the findings of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Calfire, which in July said damaged lines were to blame for three of the most destructive fires, all in San Diego County. The three fires, among the most severe of several wind-fed blazes in late October, burned more than 207,000 acres, destroyed 1,141 homes, damaged scores of others, killed 2 people and injured 40 firefighters

The commission plans to review the findings and could impose financial penalties against the two companies, San Diego Gas & Electric and Cox Communications, which investigators said failed to adequately maintain lines at the site of the Guejito, Witch and Rice fires.

The report said the Guejito fire started when an improperly maintained Cox line came into contact with a San Diego Gas & Electric conductor. The Witch fire was attributed to two of the utility’s lines coming into contact, and the Rice fire began when a sycamore tree limb, which investigators suggested should have been trimmed, fell onto a utility line.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/04/us/04fires.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1220547746-Wf1ejaYwyC1bplMqiOQbnQ