What are those helicopters doing? PG&E aerial patrols to survey SLO County this week

Tuesday’s forecast calls for sunny weather and chance of helicopters buzzing overhead around San Luis Obispo County.

PG&E is expected to fly helicopter patrols over both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties Tuesday morning to survey its power lines, the company said in a news release. A safety team will depart from Paso Robles Municipal Airport and Santa Ynez Airport, and patrol portions of overhead electric equipment between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., according to the release.

The aerial patrols are part of PG&E’s preparation for when power must be turned off during severe weather events.

The release said crews can inspect lines where power is turned off to identify and repair damage before restoring power. This ultimately helps prevent wildfires since crews can inspect any damaged lines and repair them. Tuesday’s aerial patrol is a readiness drill to better prepare for the actual events, according to the release.

PG&E crews will patrol circuits that could potentially be affected in the event of a power shutoff, according to the release. Patrols will be conducted by crews both on the ground and overhead.

According to the PG&E news release, no power shutoffs were expected as a part of the helicopter exercise.

The patrol comes as the National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for several areas of California this week due to dry, hot and windy conditions. These are released when there are either critical fire weather conditions occurring or will happen soon.

Strong winds can fuel fires and cause increased spread and growth.

San Luis Obispo County, though it is not under a Red Flag warning, has experienced several vegetation and wildland fires in recent weeks as temperatures heat up.

On Monday, the National Weather Service also issued a wind advisory warning of strong winds with gusts of up to 45 mph. The advisory was expected to last through early Tuesday morning.