California Faces Potential Power Blackouts Amid Wildfire Threats
Pacific Gas & Electric warns of planned electricity shutoffs affecting tens of thousands of customers across 22 counties due to high winds.
Tens of thousands of customers across 22 California counties may face planned electricity shutoffs as utility company Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) warns of impending power outages aimed at preventing wildfires. The potential blackouts could affect approximately 30,000 customers starting as early as Wednesday and lasting through Saturday.
The affected counties include Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Tehama, Tuolumne, Yolo, and Yuba. PG&E has stated that it has already notified customers in these areas.
The utility company cited the risk posed by dry and gusty conditions, which, combined with energized power lines, could increase the danger of igniting wildfires. The strongest winds are anticipated in the Sierra Nevada, the southern Central Coast, and parts of the North and East Bay regions.
This potential round of shutoffs follows a similar event last weekend, when PG&E cut power to about 12,200 customers in 17 counties under comparable weather conditions. The National Weather Service had previously noted elevated fire weather conditions for early in the week, warning of "breezy northerly winds" coupled with low humidity, a situation expected to persist through Thursday.
Authorities are advising residents to take precautions, such as avoiding driving vehicles with dry gas, properly disposing of cigarettes, and refraining from using outdoor equipment like lawn mowers, to mitigate fire risks.
