PG&E conducting helicopter patrols for wildfire safety this week in North Bay

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. will be conducting low-flying aerial patrols across much of the North Bay this week as part of its wildfire risk reduction program, the utility said.

Crews will be flying over electric transmission lines to identify dead and dying trees.

The helicopter patrols will generally run between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., and will include portions of Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino and Humboldt counties, according to the utility in a news release.

The flights will concentrate on designated High Fire-Threat Districts, as outlined by the California Public Utilities Commission. The Sonoma County operation will focus on transmission lines in the Healdsburg, Geyserville, Fort Ross, Santa Rosa, Cotati, Cloverdale, Monte Rio, Windsor, Jenner and Annapolis areas, the company said.

Depending on weather conditions, foresters will fly a Bell 407 from the Ukiah Municipal Airport to the transmission lines and back for refueling. If determined necessary by a spotter in the aircraft, PG&E will send ground crews to conduct further inspections.

Weather delays could push the flights into next week, PG&E said.

Flights may be as low as 300 feet, the utility said, and helicopters may reach higher elevations in areas where livestock are present.