PG&E reminds Fresno residents to call 811 before yard projects

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – With summer here, it’s the perfect time to tackle those yard projects you may have been putting off.

But before getting started, PG&E is reminding residents to call 811 to keep themselves and their family safe – even before buying the supplies needed for any yard project.

PG&E spokesperson Jeff Smith says the company will come out to mark the gas, electrical, and water lines for free before a shovel ever touches the ground.

“Some can be just a short distance underground, but we have seen instances where folks are doing a pretty small household project and they dig in the wrong spot and they can be less than a foot underground,” Said Smith.

Smith says there have been graphic and deadly examples of what can go wrong when working near a gas or power line.

In 2015, a Fresno County jail inmate was killed, and 10 others were hospitalized when a gas line broke and exploded at the Fresno County Sheriff’s Foundation Gun Range.

The flames could be seen shooting more than 100 feet into the air.

Fresno Fire Department Public Information Officer Josh Sellers says, despite the warning, people continue to take unnecessary chances when it comes to safety.

“Every year in our community, homeowners and contractors strike gas lines while digging, which triggers an emergency response from the Fresno Fire Department. It can be disruptive to business and homeowners,” said Sellers.