Eleven days after the Soberanes Fire broke out in Palo Colorado, the area was finally deemed safe enough for PG&E crews to begin restoration work.
IBEW 1245 member Arnold Gonzalez, an electric crew foreman out of Salinas, and his crew were among the first to arrive on the scene. The Palo Colorado area, north of Big Sur, is fairly remote and rugged to begin with, and the fire made access to the area even more challenging.
“We had to do a lot of hiking,” said Gonzalez. “We have a Polaris Ranger [ATV] because that’s all we could get through here. We used a backyard machine to set the poles, but other than that, we just used a lot of ropes and hoists … we got it done without any helicopters.”
News reports indicate that the fire left more than 350 people without power, and damaged or destroyed approximately 90 utility poles.
“We set new poles down the tap line that were burnt … and all the wire was burnt up and charred, so we had to re-conductor it,” Gonzalez explained. “And we ran a new service to a house that’s no longer here. Had to hand-rig a transformer up the pole, but now [when they rebuild] they’re ready to go with new service.”
CalFire reports that as of August 12, the Soberanes Fire burned over 70,000 acres in Monterey County and was 55% contained. 57 homes and 11 outbuildings were destroyed, and five other building and structures were damaged.
Photos by John Storey
Crew Foreman Armand Rains
Working from the bucket trucks, apprentice Joshua Bullard (right) and lineman Logan Wechter (left)
Vincent Vedernack
Christopher Marcil (left) and Robert Clark (right) install a new transformer
Christopher Marcil (left) and Robert Clark (right) pull up a new transformer
Christopher Marcil (left) and Robert Clark (right)
Christopher Marcil (left front) Ty Wyatt (back left) and Arnold Gonzalez (back right) and Robert Clark (right front) carry a new transformer
Crew Foreman Arnold Gonzalez at the Sobrantes Fire in Monterey, Calif. on August 3rd, 2016.
The chimney in the background is all that remains of this home after being destroyed by the Soberanes fire. The crew worked to set up service for the home so it will be ready for the owners when they rebuild.