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Failed PG&E Power Line Sparked Drum Fire That Burned 700 Acres In Santa Barbara County

SANTA BARBARA (CBSLA) — A failed PG&E power line sparked the Drum Fire that burned several hundred acres in Santa Barbara County in June, authorities said this week.

A Pacific Gas and Electric power line failed and arced to the ground, sparking the Drum Fire that erupted on June 14, according to Santa Barbara County Fire spokesman Capt. Daniel Bertucelli.

The Drum Fire burned 696 acres in a wildland area designated as California State Responsibility Area, north of Highway 246, an incident report from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department said. The fire burned despite cooler temperatures, relatively high humidity and calm winds.

PG&E equipment has determined to be the cause of several California wildfires in recent years, including the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 85 people and destroyed nearly 19,000 buildings. Utility companies like PG&E and SoCal Edison have since established public safety power shutoffs to depower their lines in areas under red flag conditions.

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