Call Kurtis: PG&E Left A Live Power Cable In My Yard For Months
Rocklin (CBS13) - A live 220 volt power cable strung from the front of Carolyn Chase's home across a short retaining wall right into her neighbor's power box, she's concerned someone will get hurt.
"There's a little girl that lives here. What if she touches these wires? Is it going to electrocute her? I don't know, but it sure scares me," she said.
The only thing keeping someone from being electrocuted is a simple plastic tie that keeps the power boxes on each home shut. Her tenant got into the box by easily cutting off the plastic tie holding it closed. Inside there's exposed copper wire and the word "danger" right next to it, warning of electrical shock.
Neighbor Willie Johnson says PG&E installed the jumper cable in January as a temporary fix when the power went out. The crew left behind orange cones marking the cable.
"The only thing they told us, 'oh just be careful,' " Johnson said.
He and Carolyn made multiple calls over the span of sevens months and say PG&E was in no rush to make a permanent fix, so they turned to us.
"We apologize to those customers," said PG&E spokesperson Brandi Ehlers.
She admitted it should not have taken so long, but insists the jumper cable is safe as long as the power boxes on each house were bolted shut.
We showed her they were only held together with plastic ties.
"That is not a safe situation right there," she admitted.
If someone opened the box and touched the exposed wire, Ehlers confirmed they could've been electrocuted.
PG&E later clarified those plastic ties are acceptable on short term projects. The company promised an internal investigation.
Three days after we got involved, a PG&E crew dug up the street and restored the power and removed the jumper cable. Carolyn doesn't understand why it took so long.
"It worries me they're not up on things like this," she said.
