Palomar Mountain News

 Did you know this is ‘Wildfire Preparedness Week in California’? Per Governor Newsome, May 5-11, 2024 We’re to all work together and clean up our properties to be more fire safe. SG&E, we need YOUR help!

The past few years the work Rancho Trees, aka Davey Tree or DRG have been working along the power easements and are creating more of a fire danger plus work and and expense for the property owner.

Please see video below I took yesterday.

We appreciate the trees being trimmed near the power lines but cutting off the tops as proven time and time again, does not work! All over Palomar you can see when a top is cut off, it kills the trees. Firs especially seem to prefer keeping their head about them so it is only a matter of time and they are a great fire danger and expensive for property owner to deal with. This damage caused by SDG&E also negatively impacts property values.

SDG&E, please review the guidelines for cutting in Cleveland National Forest including CalFire requirements. Our now very expensive fire insurance requirements can be even more demanding than what you see here:

1. Since we are within Cleveland National Forest, their guidelines require that no stump be left taller that 8 inches on the tall side. These stumps being butchered are 20 to 30 feet tall.
2. CAL FIRE now has annual inspections and one of the requirements states: “If you have dead or dying trees on your property, the entire tree needs to be removed to reduce wildfire risk.” Yes, we know that a tree is often alive but when your crews cut the top off, your work causes a fire danger and considerable expense to the property owner.
3. In addition, CAR, California Association of Real Estate has guidelines now through a state law, requiring a seller provide a CAL FIRE clearance or the Buyer needs to take the responsibility and have the work done within 30 days.
4. Driving around, we see that a lot of slash with large branches has been left around these standing dead tall stumps. From what we understand, your tree crews are to chip the slash for fire safety. Please finish the job.
5. Your notice on doors state that “This work is done at no cost to you”. Be aware that much expense is ahead for the owner. Please review how some of these crews are leaving the wood. Some crews do a great job bucking the wood to manageable lengths, but many property owners use the wood for heat. Most of the wood is now being bucked into 5 or 6 inch rounds, then cut into a pie shapes. We can not even get these on a splitter or stack to store for burning. Please instruct the crews to buck into about 15 or 16 inch rounds, then cutting in half if need be so we can ‘manage’ these rounds, split and store to use for heat. It would take no more work, perhaps even fewer cuts for the crews. Some wood has been left so difficult that your crews have and to come back and chip it to make it fire safe. Please help us help you and avoid the second visits.

Attention Palomar neighbors, It is ALWAYS BEST to be on your property when the SDG&E crews do the work. Do you have standing dead stumps? Do you have slash left by SDG&E work? Would you like to get them back to your property to finish the job? Do you have an absentee neighbor you could contact to have SDG&E finish their job? That property owner does have to be the one to connect with SDG&E so please forward this info.

Who do you contact to get your property fire safe from SDG&E’s crews? Over the years I’ve collected these cards but haven’t double checked the contacts:

SDG&E Vegetation management 858-654-8608

Jason Arnold Senior Consulting Utility Forester Certified Arborist 619-496-7528

Jason Digenan Construction Supervisor – Electric Northeast C&O Regional Operations 619-992-6476 jdigenan@sdge.com

Nick Smith Construction Supervisor 760-305-3039 nsmith5@sdge.com

Jack Sullivan Field System Analyst 310-770-9727 jsullivan3@semprautilities.com

Let’s work together to help keep Palomar Fire Safe!

Bonnie Phelps, Realtor

760-533-1742