The Abridged version:
- Pacific Gas & Electric has shut off electricity to tens of thousands of customers in El Dorado, Placer and Calaveras counties as dry, windy weather increases the threat of wildfire.
- 61,730 customers in dozens of California counties lost power Thursday morning with more shutoffs expected through Saturday.
- The emergency shutoffs are the most widespread the utility has enacted in the past eight years.
Thousands of Pacific Gas & Electric customers in the foothills near Sacramento were without power Thursday morning as the utility company executed the largest emergency shutoff in eight years and cut power to prevent its equipment from starting a wildfire.
As of Thursday morning, the shutoffs affected 8,500 customers in El Dorado County and 4,300 in Placer County. Another 10,300 customers in Calaveras County and 4,800 in Amador County were without electricity, according to PG&E.
The outages follow warnings made Wednesday to about 88,000 customers across 29 California counties. That number represented customers who could lose power, rather than the number whose electricity had been shut off.
“This is not something that we take lightly,” PG&E spokesperson Megan McFarland said Wednesday. “We have one goal with a (public safety power shutoff) and that is to prevent a catastrophic wildfire.”
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How long will this last?
The utility has said it expects the dry, windy conditions to last through Saturday morning. The end of that weather does not mean electricity will return immediately to every affected home or business.
Once conditions are safe, crews must inspect power lines and equipment and repair any damage before restoring service. Restoration times will vary by location.
Customers can enter their address on PG&E’s outage website to check their shutoff status and any available restoration estimate.
‘Please have a plan’
Speaking Wednesday from his Diamond Springs headquarters, Jared Poganski, deputy chief of the El Dorado County Fire Protection District, urged residents to have enough food and fuel for vehicles and generators.
“Our biggest concern is our community members,” Poganski said.
He expressed particular concern for people who depend on electric medical equipment.
For those residents, he said, “please have a plan.”
Poganski said previous shutoffs have shown the need to be careful with generators and alternate heating methods.
“If you use a generator, and I’m talking about gas or propane, make sure you keep the generator at least 20 feet away from any opening or structure and never use a generator inside,” he said.
He also warned against machinery work or driving with dangling chains or other metal that could scrape the ground and throw sparks.
“We are in high fire danger and a spark or a fire that can be prevented can keep us from something catastrophic,” Poganski said.
PG&E said dry vegetation, low humidity and strong winds increase the danger that branches or debris could strike live power lines and start a fire. The utility had forecast the strongest Diablo winds Thursday across the northern and central Sierra Nevada.
Where to get updates and help
PG&E sends shutoff notifications by text, email or automated phone call. Customers should check that their contact information is current.
People whose names are not on an electricity account can also sign up for address alerts. That includes renters whose landlords pay the bill and people monitoring another’s home, a school or a workplace.
About 5,500 customers enrolled in PG&E’s medical baseline program were included in Wednesday’s potential shutoff area. The utility said it would make additional efforts to reach customers who had not acknowledged its warnings, focusing on those who rely on electricity for life-sustaining equipment.
PG&E said Wednesday it planned to open more than 40 Community Resource Centers across 25 counties. The centers offer device charging, Wi-Fi, accessible restrooms, water, snacks and other supplies. Locations are listed on the utility’s outage website.
Residents can also dial 211 or visit 211.org for help finding transportation, food replacement, backup power and other available assistance.
