Exposed Gas Main In Briones Regional Park Sparks Wildfire Fears

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Firefighters are concerned that an exposed gas main PG&E constructed in Briones Regional Park, which falls in a high fire hazard severity zone, could present a significant safety hazard. "Should a wildland fire come through the area, this pipe would be subject to direct flame... Clearly, this is not an ideal situation," Deputy Fire Chief Aaron McAlister wrote in a letter outlining his concerns to PG&E.

There's roughly 40 feet of pipeline exposed in a sloped area with dense vegetation and McAlister says that in the event of a major fire, it's typical for trees to fall and rocks to roll downhill, and either one could impact the pipeline. Moreover, there have been two wildland fires within two miles of the pipeline in the last 90 days.

McAlister also mentioned the generally accessible nature of the pipeline, inside a regional park that is open to the public.

"I am concerned that a person could use the pipe as a walkway, adding weight to the pipe and causing further degradation of its strength and integrity," McAlister said. "At a minimum the area should be marked KEEP OUT or DANGER."

In addition to those threats, McAlister also raised the possibility of seismic damage, pointing to a 4.3-magnitude earthquake centered near Danville in July.

PG&E responded to a request for comment on McAlister's letter, asserting that the pipeline "is safe" and is being monitored as part of maintenance activity, but did not address any of his concerns related to fire safety.

"Since initial concern was raised by local residents, we have taken several actions including: visiting the site on multiple occasions to take measurements of the pipe and the surrounding terrain, conducting erosion analysis and other geological observations, and performing weight-bearing load calculations. All of the data analyzed so far verifies the safety of this pipeline," Sarkissian said in an email Monday afternoon.

"We take the concerns of the city's public officials and its citizens seriously, and will continue with additional data collection and analysis over the next few weeks to confirm the pipeline's safety," Sarkissian said. "Forward-looking activities will include a review of surrounding vegetation, additional stress study and an analysis of other possible threats."

— Bay City News Service