More than 20,000 PG&E customers in El Dorado, Placer and Amador counties were without power Thursday morning after the utility shut off electricity to reduce wildfire risk ahead of strong winds and dangerously dry conditions.
Those three Sierra Nevada foothill counties were among the hardest hit by the wildfire-prevention shutoffs. As of 9 a.m. Thursday, 9,264 customers were without power in El Dorado County, 5,567 in Placer County and 5,188 in Amador County, according to PG&E. Another 2,215 customers lost power in Nevada and Yuba counties, including 1,985 in Nevada County and 230 in Yuba County.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. began shutting off electricity about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday across portions of Northern and Central California because of elevated wildfire danger, said John Kaufman, a utility spokesman. By 9 a.m. Thursday, 69,309 customers were without power in 23 counties, up from nearly 62,000 at 6 a.m…