PG&E outage likely triggered Linda house fire

A broken insulator pin on a high-voltage power line is to blame for an outage in the area of Hammonton-Smartsville Road in Linda on Tuesday night that affected about 2,000 customers and coincided with the start of a fire that severely damaged a house, said Pacific Gas & Electric spokesman Paul Moreno.

A pin holding the high-voltage primary line broke and caused the wire to fall onto the distribution line that provides power for residences and businesses. The touching wires caused a transformer to fail and the resulting outage.

Linda Fire Department Chief Richard Webb said he thinks the fire at the home in the 1700 block of Hammonton-Smartville Road was related to circumstances with PG&E's equipment. The fire appears to have started in or near the 220-voltage outlet for the dryer, and it's possible there was a power surge that traveled down the line.

"Because of the extent of the damage, sometimes it's hard to make a 100 percent determination," he said. "We looked at the evidence that's there ... And we think we can draw a pretty reasonable conclusion."

Fire department investigators also saw that there were holes burned in the metal siding where electricity comes into a trailer in front of the house, indicating significant electrical arcing there, too.

The fire displaced 30-year-old Jeremiah Moler, his wife, Christy Berry, their 6-month-old daughter Allyssa and 8-year-old daughter Cierra, and their two dogs. Nearly all their belongings were destroyed, and two of their cats are still missing.

The American Red Cross of Northeaster California has provided the family with a few nights in a hotel and money for basic immediate necessities.

PG&E's claims staff met with the family Tuesday to explain the process of filing a claim if they are interested. If there was some negligence on the utility provider's part, it would be responsible for the damages, Moreno said.

It is unknown why the pin broke, but PG&E is continuing to investigate, Moreno said. There was lightning, wind and heavy rain in the area at the time.

The outage began just before 6 p.m. and power was restored to all but three customers by 7:11 p.m.

"We are saddened to hear the family's loss of their home," Moreno said. "We reached out to the Red Cross to offer a contribution (to the family)."