A program aimed at helping reduce the chance of wildfires in the San Francisco area is coming to an end.
PG&E officials announced during a virtual town hall Wednesday that the utility is eliminating its supplemental tree-trimming program that gets rid of excess vegetation around power lines.
Utility officials say the program cost roughly two-billion dollars over just four years. PG&E wants to shift strategies in fire prevention and do things such as buying new power poles and burying thousands of miles worth of wire.
They say normal maintenance work around power lines will continue. Numerous residents sounded off about the program’s elimination, saying it will lead to stronger chances of wildfires that can wipe out homes in the region.