PG&E Considers More Fire-Prevention Power Shutoffs In 19 Counties This Week
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS13/AP) - Electricity may be shut off to 50,000 Northern California utility customers this week to try to prevent power lines from sparking and igniting new wildfires during a predicted new round of gusty, hot and dry weather.
Customers in parts of 19 counties and in two tribal communities were notified Monday of a potential public safety power shutoff starting as early as Wednesday evening, Pacific Gas & Electric said.
The utility has better targeted outages to limit impact after it was criticized in 2019 for cutting power to about 800,000 customers - about 2 million people - for days. De-energized lines have to be inspected for damage before power can be restored.
PG&E said high-risk conditions are expected Wednesday evening through Friday primarily in the northern Sacramento Valley and nearby elevated terrain, the northern Sierra Nevada , the mountains north of San Francisco Bay and Mount Diablo in the East Bay.
More 8,600 wildfires have scorched well over 6,400 square miles (16,576 square kilometers) this year. There have been 31 deaths and more than 9,200 buildings have been destroyed.
As of Monday, there were 7,400 firefighters on the lines 22 wildfires, including 12 still considered major incidents, according the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Below is a list of customers who could potentially be affected by this PSPS event:
- Alameda County: 3,485 customers, 190 Medical Baseline customers
- Butte County: 11,243 customers, 985 Medical Baseline customers
- Colusa County: 565 customers, 31 Medical Baseline customers
- Contra Costa County: 536 customers, 42 Medical Baseline customers
- Glenn County: 377 customers, 18 Medical Baseline customers
- Humboldt County: 298 customers, 5 Medical Baseline customers
- Lake County: 963 customers, 69 Medical Baseline customers
- Lassen County: 319 customers, 17 Medical Baseline customers
- Napa County: 2,032 customers, 82 Medical Baseline customers
- Plumas County: 347 customers, 17 Medical Baseline customers
- Santa Clara County: 236 customers, 9 Medical Baseline customers
- Shasta County: 20,091 customers, 1,556 Medical Baseline customers
- Solano County: 49 customers, 4 Medical Baseline customers
- Sonoma County: 626 customers,18 Medical Baseline customers
- Stanislaus County: 33 customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers
- Tehama County: 7,421 customers, 650 Medical Baseline customers
- Trinity County: 458 customers, 21 Medical Baseline customers
- Yolo County: 11 customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers
- Yuba County: 1,324 customers, 96 Medical Baseline customers
Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
