PG&E May Shut Down Power to 67,000 Customers in NorCal this Week Due to Fire Concerns

Map of households who could be affected by power shut down

With a Fire Weather Watch issued by the National Weather Service across Northern California this week, PG&E has announced it may shut off power to up to 67,000 customers starting as soon as Monday. The counties that could be affected by the power shut downs are Butte, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sutter, and Yuba.

Warm winds combined with low humidity and dry vegetation is creating a situation that favors wildfires and serious concerns from the utility company.

“The safety of our customers and the communities we serve is PG&E’s top priority. We know how much our customers rely on electric service and would only consider temporarily turning off power in the interest of safety when gusty winds and dry conditions, combined with a heightened fire risk, threaten a portion of the electric system serving your community,” said Sumeet Singh, PG&E vice president of the Community Wildfire Safety Program.

Weather forecast models could change over the next 24 hours and PG&E will keep a close eye on the situation. The company will alert its customers of the shut offs via text, emails and phone calls. Customers in the potentially affected areas should be equipped with emergency kit with flashlights, fresh batteries, first aid supplies and cash.

Following a bevy of wildfires in Northern California over recent years that were determined to be caused by PG&E equipment, the company has opted for voluntary shut downs when weather sees increased fire risk. The company has payed $16.9 billion in wildfire liabilities over the past 3 years.

Active NorCal

Telling the Stories of Northern California

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Back to top button