Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is shutting off power to customers in parts of Northern and Central California on Sunday and Monday because dry weather and gusty winds have raised the risk of wildfires. The utility’s latest Public Safety Power Shutoff forecast includes preventive outages in 17 counties and three tribal areas, including Napa County on both days. Earlier forecasts estimated about 12,200 customers could be affected.
California is living through two weather emergencies at once. In the south, the remnants of Rachel are flooding beach towns. In the north, the danger is that it’s too dry.
Which counties are affected by the PG&E power shutoff?
The forecast includes Alameda, Butte, Colusa, Fresno, Glenn, Kern, Kings, Lake, Merced, Napa, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Shasta, Solano, Tehama and Yolo counties. Only small parts of each county are included, mostly rural, wooded and windy areas where power lines could spark a fire.
The numbers vary widely by county. PG&E’s estimate listed 507 customers in Colusa, 386 in Alameda, 314 in Fresno, 278 in Butte and just 15 in Napa. In Alameda County, NBC Bay Area reported the shutoffs were focused on a rural area south of the Altamont Pass, including part of Livermore.
Why does PG&E shut off power before a fire starts?
Because downed or damaged power lines can ignite wildfires in hot, dry, windy weather. PG&E calls these shutoffs a last resort, one of several layers of protection it uses when its meteorologists see strong winds, low humidity and dry vegetation coming together. Shutting off the lines removes the spark before the wind can spread it…