PG&E Monitors Power Shutoff Conditions As NWS Warns Of Fire Danger Next Week
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- With strong winds and a warm up approaching in the coming week, PG&E says it will be monitoring the weather and fire danger to determine if emergency power shutoffs will be necessary.
The utility activated its Emergency Operations Center in San Francisco Sunday night to monitor a potentially strong and dry offshore wind event that could impact portions of the North Bay, Sacramento Valley and the Sierra Foothills Wednesday and Thursday.
The National Weather Service has also indicated increased fire potential by the middle of the week.
Due to those forecast weather conditions, combined with existing dry fuels, PG&E is considering implementing a public safety power shutoff across portions of those 17 counties. No power shutoff has been called thus far, but PG&E will provide updates on that front several times a day for the next few days.
The status of PG&E's seven-day PSPS Potential Forecast has moved to "PSPS Watch," indicating that there is a "reasonable chance of executing a PSPS to reduce public safety risk in a given geographic zone due to a combination of adverse weather and dry fuel conditions."
The counties that could be affected include Marin, Solano, Sonoma, Napa, Amador, Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Lake, Mendocino, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Joaquin, Tehama, Yolo and Yuba.
In a statement Sunday night, PG&E said its meteorological and operations teams are monitoring the weather system that could impact portions of the Sierra Foothills and the North Bay, across portions of the 17 counties.
The main wind event is expected to last about 18 to 24 hours, from Wednesday evening through mid-day Thursday.
Any potential power shutoff associated with this coming week's wind event is expected to be significantly smaller, with lesser impacts, than the Oct. 9-12 public safety power shutoff.
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