Hundreds of thousands remain without power in California as officials begin to restore service
By
Kevin Byrne, AccuWeather senior editor
Published Oct 9, 2019 4:34 PM EDT
With dry conditions and strong winds, California power company Pacific Gas and Electric have shut off electricity to thousands to avoid possible wildfires from electric lines. Residents aren't happy with the shutoffs but have stocked up on water, ice and batteries.
On the same day it begin initiating planned power outages for nearly 1 million customers, public utility company Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) said late Wednesday that power restoration efforts had begun and would continue on Thursday.
Ahead of what forecasters called a widespread, severe wind event, PG&E began shutting off power for more than 800,000 customers in Northern California on Wednesday. The shutdown came as a measure to reduce the risk of wildfire development.
The power outages, part of what the company calls a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), took place in three separate phases. The first wave went into effect around 12 a.m. Wednesday, affecting approximately 513,000 customers, while the second took place at 12 p.m. Wednesday and affected an additional 234,000 customers. The third phase was for the utility's southernmost service areas and only impacted about 4,000 customers.
Improving weather conditions allowed the company to begin safety inspections, repairs and restoration in some areas. By 6 a.m. Thursday, approximately 126,000 customers had their power restored.
“We understand that this power shutoff is difficult for our customers and communities. Please check on your neighbors, friends and family and know that we will work safely, and quickly as possible, to restore power across the region,” said Sumeet Singh, vice president, PG&E Community Wildfire Safety Program.
There are still currently approximately 600,000 customers without power as a result of the PSPS event, the company said on Thursday.
Peak wind gusts since midnight Thursday include a 77 mph gust at Mt. St. Helena West in Sonoma County and a 75 mph gust at Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County.
The company's service area stretches from Eureka to Bakersfield and from the Pacific Ocean to the Sierra Nevada mountains, according to the company website.
Hot and dry weather, along with strong, gusty winds and low humidity, served as the ingredients for the high fire danger in both Northern and Southern California.
Red flag warnings indicating the threat of extreme fire danger remain in effect for much of the Bay Area, as well as around the Los Angeles and San Diego regions. This includes the Sierra Foothills and part of the Bay Area until midday Thursday.
No fires have been reported due to PG&E equipment in the PSPS impact zone.
Early Thursday, officials ordered evacuations for about 150 families in Moraga, California, as a fast-moving fire quickly charred 40 acres, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. However, by about 4:30 a.m. local time, about 150 firefighters had worked to contain about 60 percent of the fire. Some evacuated residents had already begun to return home.
The fire, dubbed the Merrill Fire, was about 80% contained by 11:30 a.m. local time.
The Sandalwood Fire broke out Thursday afternoon in Calimesa, California, near the Villa Calimesa Mobile Home Park.
Fuels are critically dry across the territory, and most of the area is looking at very receptive conditions for large fire growth, Evan Duffey, a senior meteorologist with PG&E, said at a press conference Tuesday night.
Customers were being told to prepare for outages that could last several days by planning for medical needs such as medications that require refrigeration, stocking up on emergency supply kits that include flashlights and extra batteries and identifying backup charging methods for cellphones.
"The safety of our customers and the communities we serve is our most important responsibility, which is why PG&E has decided to turn power off to customers during this widespread, severe wind event. We understand the effects this event will have on our customers and appreciate the public's patience as we do what is necessary to keep our communities safe and reduce the risk of wildfire," Michael Lewis, PG&E's senior vice president of Electric Operations said in a statement.
Motorists were cautioned to treat all non-working intersections and signals as a four-way stop sign. Hospitals were expected to run on backup power, according to the Associated Press.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf urged residents to be prepared and told them not to clog 911 lines with non-emergency calls, according to the AP. Days off for Oakland police officers were canceled ahead of the outages.
“We all know the devastation that fires can cause,” she said.
The decision to shut off power led to increased tensions for many who had their daily lives disrupted. According to the Los Angeles Times, the California Highway Patrol was investigating whether someone shot at a PG&E truck Tuesday night. PG&E also reportedly erected barriers around its headquarters in San Francisco.
"We faced a choice between hardship or safety, and we chose safety. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience and the hardship, but we stand by the decision because the safety of our customers and communities must come first," said Lewis.
In Southern California, power shutoffs were being considered by Southern California Edison (SCE) due to the risk of Santa Ana winds. However, as of Wednesday night, no decision had been made.
"We're closely monitoring weather conditions in our service territory, and some cities are under consideration for Public Safety Power Shutoffs," officials said.
"A Santa Ana wind event is expected to take place over parts of the Desert Southwest with the strongest of winds occurring in the Southern California mountains," AccuWeather Meteorologist Clay Chaney said.
"The AccuWeather Local StormMax is at 60 mph with most areas receiving between 30 and 50 mph gusts from the northeast," he said.
So far in 2019, there have been 4,609 fires in California which have burned 40,712 acres. The total acreage is down substantially from the same time period in 2018, when 4,900 wildfires burned 627,577 acres from Jan. 1, 2018, to Oct. 6, 2018.
One of the largest active blazes in the state is the Briceburg Fire, which had burned 4,900 acres and was 25% contained as of Thursday morning. The fire has been burning since Sunday in Mariposa County near Yosemite National Park.
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News / Weather News
Hundreds of thousands remain without power in California as officials begin to restore service
By Kevin Byrne, AccuWeather senior editor
Published Oct 9, 2019 4:34 PM EDT
With dry conditions and strong winds, California power company Pacific Gas and Electric have shut off electricity to thousands to avoid possible wildfires from electric lines. Residents aren't happy with the shutoffs but have stocked up on water, ice and batteries.
On the same day it begin initiating planned power outages for nearly 1 million customers, public utility company Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) said late Wednesday that power restoration efforts had begun and would continue on Thursday.
Ahead of what forecasters called a widespread, severe wind event, PG&E began shutting off power for more than 800,000 customers in Northern California on Wednesday. The shutdown came as a measure to reduce the risk of wildfire development.
The power outages, part of what the company calls a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), took place in three separate phases. The first wave went into effect around 12 a.m. Wednesday, affecting approximately 513,000 customers, while the second took place at 12 p.m. Wednesday and affected an additional 234,000 customers. The third phase was for the utility's southernmost service areas and only impacted about 4,000 customers.
Improving weather conditions allowed the company to begin safety inspections, repairs and restoration in some areas. By 6 a.m. Thursday, approximately 126,000 customers had their power restored.
“We understand that this power shutoff is difficult for our customers and communities. Please check on your neighbors, friends and family and know that we will work safely, and quickly as possible, to restore power across the region,” said Sumeet Singh, vice president, PG&E Community Wildfire Safety Program.
There are still currently approximately 600,000 customers without power as a result of the PSPS event, the company said on Thursday.
Peak wind gusts since midnight Thursday include a 77 mph gust at Mt. St. Helena West in Sonoma County and a 75 mph gust at Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County.
The company's service area stretches from Eureka to Bakersfield and from the Pacific Ocean to the Sierra Nevada mountains, according to the company website.
Hot and dry weather, along with strong, gusty winds and low humidity, served as the ingredients for the high fire danger in both Northern and Southern California.
Red flag warnings indicating the threat of extreme fire danger remain in effect for much of the Bay Area, as well as around the Los Angeles and San Diego regions. This includes the Sierra Foothills and part of the Bay Area until midday Thursday.
No fires have been reported due to PG&E equipment in the PSPS impact zone.
Early Thursday, officials ordered evacuations for about 150 families in Moraga, California, as a fast-moving fire quickly charred 40 acres, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. However, by about 4:30 a.m. local time, about 150 firefighters had worked to contain about 60 percent of the fire. Some evacuated residents had already begun to return home.
The fire, dubbed the Merrill Fire, was about 80% contained by 11:30 a.m. local time.
The Sandalwood Fire broke out Thursday afternoon in Calimesa, California, near the Villa Calimesa Mobile Home Park.
Fuels are critically dry across the territory, and most of the area is looking at very receptive conditions for large fire growth, Evan Duffey, a senior meteorologist with PG&E, said at a press conference Tuesday night.
Customers were being told to prepare for outages that could last several days by planning for medical needs such as medications that require refrigeration, stocking up on emergency supply kits that include flashlights and extra batteries and identifying backup charging methods for cellphones.
"The safety of our customers and the communities we serve is our most important responsibility, which is why PG&E has decided to turn power off to customers during this widespread, severe wind event. We understand the effects this event will have on our customers and appreciate the public's patience as we do what is necessary to keep our communities safe and reduce the risk of wildfire," Michael Lewis, PG&E's senior vice president of Electric Operations said in a statement.
Motorists were cautioned to treat all non-working intersections and signals as a four-way stop sign. Hospitals were expected to run on backup power, according to the Associated Press.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf urged residents to be prepared and told them not to clog 911 lines with non-emergency calls, according to the AP. Days off for Oakland police officers were canceled ahead of the outages.
“We all know the devastation that fires can cause,” she said.
The decision to shut off power led to increased tensions for many who had their daily lives disrupted. According to the Los Angeles Times, the California Highway Patrol was investigating whether someone shot at a PG&E truck Tuesday night. PG&E also reportedly erected barriers around its headquarters in San Francisco.
"We faced a choice between hardship or safety, and we chose safety. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience and the hardship, but we stand by the decision because the safety of our customers and communities must come first," said Lewis.
In Southern California, power shutoffs were being considered by Southern California Edison (SCE) due to the risk of Santa Ana winds. However, as of Wednesday night, no decision had been made.
"We're closely monitoring weather conditions in our service territory, and some cities are under consideration for Public Safety Power Shutoffs," officials said.
"A Santa Ana wind event is expected to take place over parts of the Desert Southwest with the strongest of winds occurring in the Southern California mountains," AccuWeather Meteorologist Clay Chaney said.
"The AccuWeather Local StormMax is at 60 mph with most areas receiving between 30 and 50 mph gusts from the northeast," he said.
So far in 2019, there have been 4,609 fires in California which have burned 40,712 acres. The total acreage is down substantially from the same time period in 2018, when 4,900 wildfires burned 627,577 acres from Jan. 1, 2018, to Oct. 6, 2018.
One of the largest active blazes in the state is the Briceburg Fire, which had burned 4,900 acres and was 25% contained as of Thursday morning. The fire has been burning since Sunday in Mariposa County near Yosemite National Park.
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