PG&E Undergrounding Contractors Save Women, House from Fire

By Paul Moreno

MAGALIA - Reacting quickly to a serious situation, PG&E contractors rescued two elderly women from a burning house and doused the fire with a water truck this week in this Butte County community.

See a video clip.

At around 5 p.m. on Thursday (Aug. 15), a construction crew with RCI General Engineering was wrapping up work for the day on an electric undergrounding project when they spotted a plume of smoke a short distance away. The contractor crew immediately drove to the site, bringing a water truck with them. When they arrived, a detached garage was fully engulfed in flames, said foreman Kyle Williams.

Dwayne Sellers began dousing the module home with water as the garage fire started to burn the house. Meanwhile, Tony Sichley and Christian Benedict ran into the home and carried out two elderly women. They were assisted by Benjamin Johnston. The crew also rescued dogs.

Minutes later, Cal Fire arrived on scene and began fighting the fire.

One woman wrote on Facebook: "This is my grandma's property. The garage is a total loss and back part of the house took some damage but a HUGE thank you to RCI - they had a water truck nearby and were able to stop it before it got worse. The workers also carried my great grandma and great aunt out of the house safely as they are unable to walk well."

Joe Wilson, vice president for the North Valley & Sierra Region, knows that our crews and contractors often are everyday heroes.

"The quick thinking and bravery by the RCI crew is remarkable and makes us proud to partner with these contractors," he said. "It not only reflects that we are a part of the communities we serve, but also that we're ready to help in so many ways."