Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) will be replacing more than 100 power poles within Mount Diablo State Park over the next several months.
This project is part of a larger wildfire safety project, and will include installing stronger and more resilient poles and covered power lines to further reduce wildfire risks.
Park Visitors may experience some delays as a result of this project.
Please be prepared for large vehicles traveling on the roadways and parked on the shoulders of the roadways.
The project is expected to be completed by mid-summer 2020.
Well, it was before my time around here, but half of Concord seems pretty impressed by the 1977 Diablo fire. Last year we had that Lime Ridge fire threatening Crystyl Ranch. A few years ago we had the Morgan Fire burn the whole backside of North Peak. I’ve lost track of all the fires along Marsh Creek and Morgan Territory.
True, those were all mostly confined to open space, but wasn’t the big take away from the Santa Rosa fire that living in well maintained suburbia with fire stations dotted around is no longer a guarantee against wildfires? Color me generally acquiescent to anyone that wants to spend money on fire hazard abatement.
It could be that they are some of the very oldest power poles in the area which have begun to show their age and need to be replaced. Additionally, were a fire to start and quickly spread on Mt. Diablo, fighting it in areas that were not easily accessible would become a serious problem. Mt. Diablo is surrounded by homes on almost every side and the potential for damage from a fire that started there and quickly spread is great.
There are a few poles throughout Mt. Diablo State Park I’ve seen on my hikes. that could use an upgrade…a few washed out roads need replacing too.