CHICO — On a chilly Thursday morning, Chico resident Paul Daniska watched as the dying cedar tree at the home he’s lived in for about 25 years came down piece by piece.
“I’ve been here since 1999, but my son was going to college so I bought the house here for him so he had a place for a while,” Daniska said. “I had a ranch down in the Sutter Buttes and when I was done farming and my son had moved on, I moved in.”
The cedar, one of two on either side of his home, had been struggling for some time because of a lack of water. Daniska said he had even kept the hose dripping on it but to no avail.
Kyle Lee, left, and Colton Davis stand by as a cedar tree is portioned off from above on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 in Chico, California. (Jake Hutchison/Enterprise-Record)
“Yeah, I’m disappointed to see it go,” Daniska said. “But because of the drought, it’s dying off. So it just has to go. No choice about it. The one on the other side of the house is probably going to go next year.”
With help from PG&E and its contractors at Mountain F. Enterprises, the tree was cut down and hauled off Thursday. The tree downing was part of the power company’s push for line safety in storm events, especially with two storm systems to hit California starting Friday evening. The tree in question was close to power lines along Mulberry Street.
“PG&E’s contractor is removing a tree that unfortunately has reached a condition where it’s unsafe,” said PG&E spokesman Paul Moreno. “So we worked with this property owner to remove that tree.”
Moreno said storm conditions can cause trees and limbs to fall in multiple ways.
“We’re expecting a few days of rain and some gusty winds,” Moreno said. “With saturated soils, that means sometimes trees might topple over if they have weak roots, and it can also cause tree branches to break and fly into power lines. So year-round we trim and remove trees away from power lines.”
Keegan Huerta uses a chainsaw to cut a cedar tree in Chico, California on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. (Jake Hutchison/Enterprise-Record)
Oncoming storms
Forecasts have shown potential for four to five-day weather event broken up into two storms with the first beginning Friday evening.
Sarah Purdue, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office, said the rain totals for the first storm will vary based on the location, but said the valley around Chico, Oroville, Orland and even up to Red Bluff could be looking at between an inch and an inch and a half through Sunday with heavier rain further north near Redding which could see as much as three inches. Foothill areas are likely to see a little more rain than the valley.
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Cold nights, possible rain ahead
“The second storm is going to be a bit wetter,” Purdue said. “We’re looking at pretty widespread heavy run from Sunday night into Monday morning.”
Purdue said Chico and surrounding areas could see as much as two to three inches from Sunday into Tuesday and possibly beyond.
It’s not likely that Butte County areas will see much snow as a result of these storms, but Purdue did say that the snow level for the first storm will be between 6,000 and 6,500 feet followed by 6,500 to 7,000 for the second storm.
Storm, outage safety
As part of PG&E’s preparations for the stormy season, the company has begun its safety campaign to spread the word on what to do in the case of outages and downed power lines.
“We do advise customers that if you have a power outage, call us at 1-800-743-5002 to report your outage,” Moreno said. “Also you can request a call back about your outage status and as to when it may be restored.”
Those who see downed power lines, on the other hand, are urged by PG&E to instead call 911 and report it as an emergency because of the hazard involved.
“Call 911 and keep people away from that,” Moreno said. “With downed power lines you can’t tell whether they’re live or dead. You want to make sure you stay a safe distance away from that.”
PG&E also provided the following tips for outages:
• Practice safety when using generators by making sure they have been installed by a licensed electrician. Generators should also be installed in rooms that are well-ventilated.
• Keep flashlights on hand and have spare batteries. PG&E recommends not using candles as they create a fire hazard. In situations where candles are the only option, they should be set up away from flammable objects like drapes and lampshades as well as animals and children. Candles should not be left unattended.
• For landlines, have a backup phone that doesn’t rely on power. Additionally, it’s helpful to have portable charging devices on hand. If there is a threat of an outage, keep all devices such as cell phones charged.
• Keep plenty of fresh drinking water. Water bottles can also be frozen and then kept in the refrigerator to keep it cool.
• Make sure appliances are unplugged and turned off during an outage.
Additional information on power outages as well as outage maps can be found at PGE.com/outages.
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