Generator Blamed For Sparking House Fire During PG&E Shutoff
POLLOCK PINES (CBS13) — A Pollock Pines home was destroyed by a fire investigators say was sparked by a generator running in place of PG&E power during the Public Safety Power Shutoff.
Now the El Dorado County Fire District is sounding the alarm. Fire Chief Lloyd Ogan says the PG&E power shutoffs are increasing some fire risks in his community and increasing his district's calls for service.
"My frustration level runs a little bit high for our community," Ogan said. "Now we have a new set of risks, we have a set of risks that are related to people using generators that aren't properly installed, or properly being used, which creates a higher fire risk in those cases."
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Ogan says besides generators, people are also using flammable fuel-powered lamps for light as well as candles. All create fire danger, while PG&E power shutoffs last for days.
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"The longer we go doing this, the more we roll the dice," Ogan said.
A Pollock Pines home destroyed, during a PG&E public safety shutoff. A family using a generator help light their home, instead, they lost it.
Chief Ogan says the increased calls for service for his firefighters also include more medical calls for carbon monoxide poisoning from generators and false fire alarms that go off at homes and businesses when PG&E power is turned off and on.
It's unclear at this time if the generator fire was sparked by user error or malfunction.
