In the rain last weekend, a pole on Winding Way East apparently caught fire and dropped lines. I am not an electrical engineer and I do not know what exactly happened. I do know that Southern California Edison (SCE) poles have a proven tendency to collect contamination on the insulators, which conduct parasitic current in rain, and eventually cause wood pole components to heat to the point of fire.Â
Four pole fires or similar failures have occurred within two miles of Zuma Beach this fall and winter. This is far above average. Someone is going to get killed when a live line drops on them or their car. Sheriff ’s deputies were out in the rain directing traffic. Malibu has been so very lucky that contaminated insulators usually catch fire when it’s wet, so we haven’t had any major fires. But that is a factor of luck and luck alone.Â
We know the system is old and overloaded and scheduled for repair. But before that happens, we have to ask, why are surges occurring in areas that do not lose power? Electrical components are frying, regularly, by voltage spikes or dips. The outages are bad enough; the ensuing voltage problems on nearby circuits are not within industry standards. Why are brand new transformers failing, like the one that exploded under Heathercliff last fall?Â
The City of Malibu needs to hire an electrical engineering firm to determine if SCE has the voltage regulators and isolation equipment it is legally required to have. We cannot rely on the Public Utilities Commission; they are not staffed to do this probing into what could be either a string of incredible coincidences or a utility that has demonstrated a track record of failure and negligence. We need to find out, independently, what is happening.Â
I’m worried about what will happen when the big power pole rebuild happens later this year. As Edison switches its lines off and on, are we going to have more dangers?Â
Hans LaetzÂ