What To Do When You See One
They are more common on our roads than most people realize, and more dangerous than they look.
After storms or high-wind events, downed and damaged utility lines show up on mountain roads with some regularity. Most people slow down, look at the line, and drive around it. That is a problem. A power line on the ground can energize the soil up to 35 feet in every direction, and wet pavement, puddles, or standing water extends that zone further. There is no visual cue that tells you whether a line is live. You cannot hear 60Hz AC current in daylight. You cannot tell from the color of the wire. You simply cannot know.
Gasoline vapors from a car crossing a live line can ignite. If the ground around a downed line is energized and you step out of your car onto it, current can enter through one foot and exit through the other, passing through your heart on the way. This is called step potential, and it is why utility workers approach downed lines one shuffle-step at a time with both feet kept together.
If you see a downed line
- Stay at least 100 feet away and keep people and animals back.
- Call 911 first, then PG&E at 1-800-743-5002. Give the exact location including the nearest address or cross street.
- Do not drive over it, even if it looks inactive or other cars have already passed over it.
- Do not try to move it, touch it, or use a stick or non-conductive object. There is no safe way to handle this yourself.
- If a line falls on your car while you are driving, stay inside unless there is a fire. If there is a fire, jump clear with both feet together, then shuffle away without taking a normal stride across the ground.
Lines you can report yourself
Not every damaged line is an immediate emergency. PG&E has an online tool at pge.com/report where you can flag low-hanging lines, lines in contact with tree branches, or lines that appear damaged but are not on the ground. These reports go into their maintenance queue. If you see sparking or a line that is actually on the ground, call 911. Do not use the online form for those situations.
Your trees, your responsibility
If you have trees on your property with branches growing into or over utility lines, trimming up to the line is your responsibility. PG&E handles vegetation that is actually touching their equipment. If you are not sure where that line of responsibility falls, call PG&E’s vegetation management line at 1-800-743-5002 and describe what you are seeing. They will tell you whether they will send a crew or whether it falls to you.
One practical item worth checking now is your garage door. During a power outage or evacuation, many people cannot get their cars out because their electric garage door opener has no backup. Most openers have a manual release cord, usually red and hanging from the track. Know where yours is and how to use it before you need it. Battery backup units for garage door openers run about $50 at most hardware stores.
Key Contacts and Resources
- PG&E downed line emergency — call 911 first, then 1-800-743-5002
- PG&E non-emergency line and outage reports — pge.com/report
- PG&E vegetation management — 1-800-743-5002