PG&E helicopter flying low around Sonoma County today

See a helicopter flying low around the county Tuesday? Not to fear, it’s probably just PG&E workers doing their job.

Drought-parched trees with weakened root systems are easily toppled when faced with wind and rain storms like the county saw this weekend, and when they fall, they can land on homes, cars, or power lines - causing damage, outages, and sometimes sparking fires.

PG&E will be flying along distribution power lines from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday in Cotati, Two Rock, Bloomfield, Valley Ford, Bodega and Annapolis, the company said in a news release.

The helicopter will be red and white, and staffed by foresters who will be looking for drought-weakened trees that could pose a potential danger to power lines. Once foresters identify hazardous trees, the release said, foresters will do a closer check on the ground, and if the tree needs to be removed, appropriate next steps will be taken.

You can reach Staff Writer Christi Warren at 521-5205 or christi.warren@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @SeaWarren.