The Abridged version:
- Pacific Gas & Electric has warned of cutting power to thousands of customers in Placer and El Dorado counties.
- Fire officials warn high winds, dry conditions and low humidity create a “perfect storm,” raising the threat of wildfire in the foothills.
- PG&E says alerts arrive by text, email or automated phone call and to immediately update contact information in case of emergency.
Pacific Gas & Electric warned that it may shut off power to thousands of its customers in the Sacramento region in anticipation of dry, windy conditions increasing the risk of wildfire.
“This is not something that we take lightly,” PG&E spokesperson Megan McFarland said. “We have one goal with a (public safety power shutoff) and that is to prevent a catastrophic wildfire.”
A public safety power shutoff is in effect for 88,000 customers in dozens of California counties including El Dorado, Placer and Calaveras. PG&E said internal meteorologists helped make the difficult decision to put customers on standby for power shutoffs due to high winds and low humidity.
“When those and other weather conditions come together, they can significantly increase wildfire risk,” McFarland said.
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The utility’s Wednesday update includes about 88,000 customers in parts of 29 California counties. Calaveras County accounts for 10,793 potentially affected customers, followed locally by El Dorado County with 8,757 and Tuolumne County with 7,248.
Another 5,306 customers in Placer County and 4,557 in Amador County could lose electricity. Sacramento County is not on the list. Smaller numbers are included in Nevada, Yuba and Yolo counties.
The warning covers selected areas within those counties. It does not mean everyone in a listed county will lose power, or that an individual outage would last through Saturday. Customers can enter their address to see whether their location is being monitored, but forecast changes can affect the timing and boundaries of a shutoff.
The utility had warned about 70,000 customers Tuesday. PG&E expanded the potential shutoff Wednesday, adding about 25,000 customers and removing roughly 7,300 as the forecast changed.
‘Please have a plan’
“Our biggest concern is our community members,” said Jared Poganski, Deputy Chief of the El Dorado County Fire Protection District.
Poganski says preparation can save lives, and to make sure you have enough food, fuel for cars and generators, and be extra safe with alternate heating methods. Poganski is concerned about people with electric medical devices that could be threatened by power outages, adding for them to “please have a plan.”
Poganski spoke to Abridged by PBS KVIE from his Diamond Springs headquarters and said there have been lessons learned from previous power shutoffs.
“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,” Poganski said.
He also warned to avoid machinery work or using any vehicle that could cause a spark from dangling chains or scraping metal.
“We are in high fire danger and a spark or a fire that can be prevented can keep us from something catastrophic,” Poganski said.
The concern is that wind could blow branches or other debris into live power lines and start a fire in dry vegetation.
The utility said Diablo winds would peak Thursday across the northern and central Sierra Nevada mountains.
PG&E said it is important to monitor the weather. The utility described vegetation as extremely dry and said relative humidity would fall into the single digits and teens across many areas. Winds also cause worry, but wind speed alone does not determine whether the company cuts electricity.
Keeping watch
PG&E said to check your address and contact information because notices arrive by text, email or automated phone call. The company says it tries to provide advance warnings, but a changing forecast can mean the first notice arrives on the day power is shut off.
Renters whose landlord pays the electricity bill can receive alerts, too. PG&E offers address alerts for people who are not account holders, allowing them to follow possible shutoffs at home or at another location. Customers can also sign up for alerts on the addresses of loved ones, helping people keep track of a parent’s home, a child’s school or a workplace. PG&E provides notifications in English and 15 other languages.
About 5,500 customers enrolled in PG&E’s medical baseline program are within the potential shutoff area. The company plans to open more than 40 Community Resource Centers in 23 counties. The centers provide charging, Wi-Fi, accessible restrooms, water, snacks and other supplies.
PG&E offers additional notifications for customers who rely on electricity for health or safety. Those may include an in-person visit to make sure a customer knows about a possible outage.
Residents who need help can call 211 or visit 211.org. Care coordinators can help connect them with local hotel options, transportation, food replacement, health and safety programs, and backup power.
PG&E lists assistance and links to resource-center locations on its outage resources page. Customers can use that page to find support before an outage and check the status of outages once they occur.
