They Call Him ‘MacGyver’: Longtime Cal Fire Incident Commander Brings His Know-How to PG&E

The Palisades Fire erupted with fierce intensity in Southern California’s Santa Monica Mountains in early January. The relentless flames killed 12 people, consumed 23,000 acres and destroyed nearly 7,000 structures. It was one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. 

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, at the request of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Engineer Janisse Quiñones, requested PG&E to send their best teams to help protect their electric infrastructure in the area from rapidly advancing flames. Quiñones is a former head of Electric Operations for PG&E. 

Three miles south of The Getty Museum, in the Sepulveda Canyon, Rob Cone and his colleagues worked 21 straight days clearing vegetation and spraying bright blue fire retardant on power poles, around buildings, water tanks, pump stations, water reservoirs and transmission sites. 

PG&E had 65 Safety & Infrastructure Protection Teams personnel on site during the fire, including a fire behavior analyst, strike team leaders, logistical support and 25 engines. 

PG&E has a SIPT organization that might take other agencies years to build. Cone credits management’s support in developing the wildfire safety team to what it is today. 

"The biggest takeaway was showing the commitment that PG&E has made to stop catastrophic wildfires,” Cone said. “People were blown away by our fire engines and our personnel and what we were doing." 

A knack for problem-solving 

Cone is one of the early coworkers recruited from firefighting operations to help PG&E adapt to the new normal of wildfire threats due to climate change. 

From diagnosing engine issues to developing new systems for mixing fire retardants, Cone’s ingenuity has been his greatest asset. 

His roots in the Golden State run deep. Born in Vancouver, Wash., he moved to California as a child and was raised near Sacramento in Carmichael and then his Cal Fire career took him throughout the state before he settled in Paradise in Butte County. 

While attending college, Cone started at Cal Fire as seasonal firefighter support. That opportunity changed his life and led to a lifelong pursuit of stopping wildfires. 

During his 33-year Cal Fire career, he worked his way through the ranks, gaining a reputation for problem-solving skills and mechanical aptitude. 

It’s a trait so well-known that colleagues refer to him as “MacGyver,” a reference to the television series character known for solving problems with a Swiss Army knife or makeshift tools. 

He traces his skills that he uses with PG&E to his days with Cal Fire, the training they provided, running numerous emergency incidents and being able to multi-task and figuring out problems on the fly. 

‘Open, direct and honest’ 

Others at PG&E notice Cone’s value to the organization. 

“Rob embodies our PG&E Virtues of tenacious and curious, along with a passion to make things better,” said Jeff Millar, senior director in PG&E’s Emergency Field Operations. 

Cone’s younger colleagues respect his style. Connor Norton, a PG&E SIPT technician based in Monterey, worked alongside Cone during the Palisades Fire. 

Norton said Cone is a magician when it comes to the SIPT pumping system. 

“I have had a few questions in the past regarding the retardant we use and when I ask him questions about the specifics he gives me the answer to the last decimal,” Norton said. “He is very open, direct and honest when you approach him, which is something I really respect.” 

Cone’s wife Joni was born and raised in Paradise. In 2013, he retired from Cal Fire to finish work on a new house in Butte Valley. Five years later, while working for PG&E as a public safety specialist and living in their new home, which was across the driveway from his wife’s parents’ house when the Camp Fire started. 

The day of the Camp Fire, Cone was up at 4 a.m. due to a planned Public Safety Power Shutoff. Once the fire started, he responded to the Incident Command Post to be PG&E's agency representative.

He spent 14 hours at the command post with colleague Jeff Lee but then had to leave to defend his own home.  He spent eight hours watching the fire pass by their farm and was back at Cal Fire for a briefing at 6 a.m. 

“I'll never forget,” Cone said. “I was up at 4 a.m., and I was defending the house at 4 a.m. the next day.” 

Making our communities safe 

When he's not working, Cone finds solace working on his small citrus farm just south of Paradise. It’s a necessary balance to the demands of his career. 

Cone and his wife raised two children in Paradise — Cydney, who lives with her husband Reilly in Texas, and Rory, who works for Cal Fire as a firefighter in the Tehama/Glenn Unit. 

Cone could have stayed retired after his years with Cal Fire. But the opportunity with PG&E allowed him to share his vast knowledge. He’s able to be part of a team that works together to protect our hometowns. 

"I feel fulfilled being part of a group focused on keeping our communities safe during wildfires,” he said. “We adapt, improvise, and overcome daily to succeed in emergencies. PG&E and SIPT lead in asset protection for the utility industry. Every day is a learning day, and we share our successes and lessons to improve the future.”