San Francisco Chronicle | August 15, 2019
As PG&E rushes to protect its power grid from wildfire by cutting down trees in vulnerable areas around the state, many homeowners and other critics are saying they're doing the work in environmentally harmful ways. But Bill Stewart, co-director of Berkeley's Center for Fire Research and Outreach, says the aggressive strategy is generally smart, despite objections. "PG&E was probably too lax over the past few decades when homeowners wanted less clearance," he says. "The contractors (now) are often having to make up for decades of branch infringement." Acknowledging that tree clearing can increase vegetation growth and add combustible fuel to a forest's floor, he insists that a tree toppling an electrical line poses greater risk.