Trouble with power lines after storm? Placer County, PG&E offer an urgent warning

Residents should not attempt to cut power lines on their own even as they wait for relief from a series of devastating winter storms in Northern California, as it can result in serious injuries and death.

That’s the message coming from PG&E, relayed through the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.

Private and public agencies are working to provide help, but the Sheriff’s Office said that “in speaking with PG&E, we learned there are residents around Placer County who are taking independent action by cutting power lines themselves.

“This is an extremely serious safety concern with all the portable generators that are currently being utilized,” the Sheriff’s Office added in a Facebook post on Saturday.

“This could create back feeding into PG&E lines and can result in a death in addition to putting PG&E crews in danger.”

Placer County officials announced a local state of emergency on Friday, with some 2,000 households throughout the county still without power.