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IBEW Responds to Napa Earthquake

August 27, 2014

Vacaville, Calif. Local 1245 members helped restore power and patch up gas leaks after Sunday’s earthquake. Photos credits: Local 1245.

The 6.0 earthquake that rocked California’s Napa Valley Aug. 24 caused major damage throughout the region, leaving 70,000 residents without power.

In response to the crisis, IBEW members at Pacific Gas & Electric, the major utility for Northern California, spread out across the area.

One of their main jobs was to respond to the more than 400 complains about gas leaks.

As Eric Wolfe reports on Vacaville Local 1245’s website:

Roads in Napa and Sonoma counties were thick with fire department red and PG&E blue in the hours after the quake. PG&E dispatched 40 electric crews and an armada of gas service trucks to the area, and IBEW members were ready to put muscle behind PG&E’s promise of service and safety. Of 70,000 customers who were out of power at the peak of the earthquake emergency, all but 7,300 were restored to service by mid-afternoon. An initial safety patrol of PG&E’s gas transmission pipeline did not indicate any damage. The company said it planned to perform a second patrol.

Sunday’s earthquake was the biggest to hit the Bay Area since 1989. Nearly 200 residents were injured.

PG&E officials say safety inspections for customers and businesses will continue throughout the week.

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