PG&E Shuts Down Power To Thousands In California To Prevent Wildfires

Around 51,000 customers across California are expected to be affected by the widespread power shutdown that Pacific Gas & Electric started enforcing Tuesday evening in order to prevent the spread of wildfires.

PG&E said in a press release that the shutdown will affect “small portions of 18 counties focused in the Sierra Nevada foothills, the North Coast, the North Valley, and the North Bay mountains.” The company said the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) was implemented due to drought conditions in the affected areas as well as dry offshore winds.

The utility said it is anticipating weather to reach “all clears” by Wednesday afternoon. More than 7,200 customers will be affected in Butte County, 9,437 in Tehama County, 6,849 in Napa County, 4,563 customers in Lake County, and thousands of others in other counties. The most affected county will be Shasta, where 15,836 customers are expected to experience the shutoff.

PG&E’s announcement came after a weekend of fire watches issued by the National Weather Service (NWS). The Northern California Geographic Area Coordination Center’s North Operations Predictive Services also issued a high-risk fire warning for Tuesday.

California has seen some of the most devastating wildfires in the United States over the past months. The Dixie Fire, in particular, has burned for more than a month and has only been contained at 31% as announced by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, The Hill reported. The Dixie Fire is currently burning around the Lassen, Plumas, and Butte counties.

Wind gusts pushed the Dixie Fire close to Susanville, a city of around 15,000 residents. Evacuations started as early as Monday, The New York Times reported, as fire danger warnings are expected to linger for the rest of the week. Some evacuations were enforced around Janesville, which is located about 12 miles southeast of Susanville.

There are at least six large wildfires burning in Northern California, including the McFarland Fire, which has burned more than 69,000 acres as of Tuesday, and the Monument Fire, which has burned around 119,000 acres.

Another fire that has raised concern among California officials is the Caldor Fire. This wildfire has already burned around 50 homes around the Grizzly Flats where about 1,200 people resided, the Associated Press reported. Dry winds fueled the blaze, promoting a state of emergency call for El Dorado County by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The Caldor Fire is zero percent contained.