“Undergrounding reduces the risk of ignitions in areas at the highest risk of wildfire by nearly 98%. There is no more effective, one-time permanent solution to reducing the risk of wildfire ignition from electrical equipment,” IBEW 1245 Business Manager Bob Dean and California Professional Firefighters President Brian Rice wrote in a joint op-ed in today’s Sacramento Bee. “However, the CPUC is proposing the company instead install insulated overhead powerlines which have to be rebuilt over and over again, and which, by themselves, only reduce ignition risk by 65%. This leaves an unacceptable level of risk on the system … Our members can also tell you that when trees fall into lines or poles fail during extreme winds, covered conductors will still end up on the ground, creating additional hazards for the men and women responding to the scene.”