NV Energy teams are working to remove and reduce flammable vegetation in Galena, and that work plays a crucial role in slowing the spread of wildfires.
Teams are working relentlessly to clear 100-to-200-foot trees in the residential area.
"What they're going to do here, is they're going to replace these bare conductors which are just basically, just your standard overhead lines, with something called your covered conductors," said Katie Jo Collier, NV Energy Power Safe Specialist. "So, it's a line that has an insulation around it to make sure it's a lot safer. They'll also go through and replace any wooden poles with a ductile iron pole, where they have trunk access. Where there's not trunk access, we'll being replacing it with wooden poles, with something called fire mesh.'
The dynamic of fire mitigation is a process that NV Energy teams are focused on, with proactive measures creating a safer defensible space area.
For this specific project, vegetation management consists of removing trees, thinning the area of fallen branches and clearing sections that are in close perimeter to residential areas throughout Galena.
In managing vegetation around home properties, it is crucial to clear out trees that pose high fire risk.
The noise in the construction zone might seem overwhelming, with teams of workers out for days on end, clearing vegetation out. However, one local resident is grateful for the project.
David Crosby, a local who lives in the neighborhood shares his appreciation.
"I feel very fortunate they're out here taking care of this," he said. "We had the Davis Creek Fire come very close to us last year. So, anything we can do to make our electric power system safer and remove some of the potential for fires associated with trees, that's wonderful. We've been here 15 years, NV Energy came through about five years ago and did some restoration on some of the lines, but this is a big reconstruction here."
The removal project is expected to run for two to three weeks.
