Pole Clearing


Liberty owns approximately 24,000 wood poles to support distribution and transmission power lines.  These poles are located throughout the Liberty service territory on land that falls under the jurisdiction of the State of California or the federal government for fire protection services.

California Public Resources Code Section 4292 requires Liberty to remove flammable debris and vegetation near poles. Liberty and its contractors regularly perform pole clearing activities throughout its service territory in compliance with Section 4292. 

Liberty follows these minimum clearances:

  • At the ground line, a minimum of a 10-foot radius area, measured horizontally from the outer circumference of the pole, shall be consistent with a firebreak and be cleared by removing all flammable materials, including but not limited to, ground litter and debris, duff, and dead or desiccated vegetation that could propagate fire.
  • From the ground line to eight feet above the ground line, a minimum of a 10-foot radius area, measured horizontally from the outer circumference of the pole, shall be cleared by removing flammable materials including trees, herbaceous and brush vegetation, grass, trash, debris or other materials.


Limbs and foliage of living or dead trees that are smaller than four inches in diameter shall be removed up to a height of eight feet.