Flip the switch to avert fires

Re “State says power lines ignited Witch fire,” Nov. 17

For years, fires in Southern California have been blamed on fallen wires or similar causes, resulting in loss of life and billions of dollars in damage and insurance losses. The equation seems quite simple: Strong winds cause wires to touch or fall, causing fires. If this is indeed a root cause of fires, it behooves the power companies to work with the National Weather Service and cut power in vulnerable areas when conditions can yield downed power lines.

People end up losing more than their power during firestorms, and they should accept the idea that if they live in fire-prone areas, they should expect this inconvenience. Several emergency power systems are readily available in the form of generators, solar or batteries that would maintain reasonable household functionality during these outages.

Allen Wolff

Sierra Madre