Powerline and Pole Safety

Clearing Brush for safe delivery of energy

Our pole brush program is a year-round effort to remove brush from the base of wood poles supporting power lines that may cause fires.

Poles with certain equipment such as fuses, switches, arrestors, and certain connectors are required to have a firebreak of ten feet or more in each direction.

The program also includes clearing around transmission line structure.

This fire prevention program is mandated by laws enforced by Cal Fire.

Three steps to clearing brush

State law requires that subject poles be clear of vegetation all year. SDG&E has a three-tiered program to assure that the poles remain in compliance.

• Herbicides
  From November through February vegetation around poles is cleared and treated with a safe herbicide to prevent re-growth.

• Mechanical Brushing
  From March through June, vegetation around subject poles that were not treated with herbicides are mechanically cleared.

• Mechanical Re-clearing
  All poles that are not treated with herbicides are visited again during July through October for re-clearing.

Exemptions to clearing wood poles

There are some exemptions to clearing around poles. If the vegetation around the pole is watered with fixed irrigation, and/or maintained such as a lawn, or a garden, the pole does not require a firebreak.

More Information

Call our Customer Service Center at 1-800-411-7343