The Readership Sounds Off: Praise For Firefighters; Not So Much For PG&E

We would like to add our voices to those expressing their gratitude to the men and women of our local fire services – all of whom demonstrated the utmost professionalism during our area’s recent fire storms.

While we have always known there is a thin line between our daily lives and disaster our vulnerability was made painfully obvious to us on Sunday when our neighbors began to call for evacuations, and our family began to pack our car for fast departure.

We managed to drive to a safe place out of the fire zone and watched planes and helicopter diving into the smoke and, as luck would have it, we were able to return home while so many others in our state were not as lucky.

THANK YOU FIREFIGHTERS!

The Marshalls/ Martinez

Literally in the dark with power out in our neighborhood we watched as the smoke cloud grew and the sirens got closer and closer to our home. We finally joined our neighbors in leaving the area and making our way to a “safe” area outside of the fire zone.

I have never been as afraid as I was during those minutes. I want to thank the people who drove past us or flew over head to save our neighborhood. There’s no way to adequately express our gratitude.

David Sanchez/ Crockett

Really grateful to the professionals who risked so much to preserve our homes and property over the past weekend. And prayers to those who lost their homes elsewhere in our state.

Rebecca Blessing/ Concord

I’m holding my PG&E bill and wondering if I should pay it. After this past week it seems that they should be paying us, or not charging us at all.

I cannot understand how a monopolistic utility company can continue to demand payment from customers whose homes they darkened and put into jeopardy as fires – possibly started by failing PG&e equipment, maybe not – threatened lives and homes and left us with no way to fight back or communicate during the disaster.

The company has some explaining to do and the answers I’ve heard so far have been less than satisfactory.

Aaron North/ San Ramon

I just saw that Pacific Gas & Electric Co. – the company suspected of starting several recent fires along with the one that destroyed the town of Paradise and killed 85 people – has asked a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge to approve $235 million in safety bonuses for 10,000 of its employees.

I also can’t help but note the irony of the company’s wine tasting party for its leading sales people and their biggest gas customers at a winery outside Healdsburg the night before they turned out the lights for about a million people.

Their CEO called that one “a colossal mistake” and I would agree. But I would ask: when does the utility stop making mistakes and set things right? Maybe they could start by giving some of that bonus money to fire victims?

Mark Summerlin/ Concord