Public safety power shutoff may affect thousands in Bay Area
Critical fire danger conditions are expected to develop across region Wednesday
SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is poised to shut off power to 54,000-plus customers, including thousands in the Bay Area, to reduce the risk of sparking new wildfires amid hot, dry and windy conditions Wednesday, the utility said.
The public safety power shutoff, or PSPS, would affect customers in targeted portions of 24 counties. The decision to call a PSPS will be made Wednesday, said Mark Quinlan, senior director of emergency preparedness and response for PG&E.
“All of this is based on forecasted weather, and we know that forecasts can change,” Quinlan said at a news conference. “And we will change with those forecasts and make the appropriate decisions.”
The utility said the highest probability areas for the shutoff are the Northern Sierra Nevada foothills, the middle and higher elevations in the Sierra generally north of Yosemite, the North Bay mountains near Mt. St. Helena, small pockets in the East Bay near Mt. Diablo, the Oakland hills east of Piedmont, the elevated terrain east of Milpitas around the Calaveras Reservoir, and portions of the Santa Cruz and Big Sur mountains.
Critical fire weather conditions will develop across the North Bay, East Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains early Wednesday morning through midday Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Those areas will be under a red flag warning from 5 a.m. Wednesday through 11 a.m. Friday.
The forecast calls for sustained winds of 15 to 30 mph and gusts of 25 to 40 mph; gusts up to 55 mph at the highest peaks are also possible. The winds are expected to peak overnight Wednesday and diminish during the day Thursday before picking back up Thursday night and Friday morning.
The weather service said inland areas will see temperatures in the 80s to upper 90s by the end of the week. The coast will be cooler, with temperatures in the mid 70s and 80s, but some isolated areas could hit 90 degrees.
Humidity levels will also be dry with no marine layer to provide overnight relief, according to the weather service.
“That, combined with warm to hot temperatures and the wind that is forecast, makes for critical fire conditions,” said Rick Canepa, a meteorologist with the weather service.
The utility said windy conditions like those being forecast increase the potential for damage and hazards to its infrastructure, which could cause sparks if lines are energized. The decision to call a PSPS is based on forecasted winds, as well as a number of other factors, including the condition of dry fuel on the ground and live vegetation, low humidity levels and on-the-ground observations, according to PG&E.
“We really view it as a last-resort option,” Quinlan said.
If the utility moves forward with a PSPS, it would begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday and affect some 33,000 customers in Butte, Lake, Napa, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma, Tehama, Yolo and Yuba counties. A second phase would begin at 8 p.m. Wednesday and affect 21,000 customers in Alameda, Amador, Calaveras, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Monterey, Nevada, Placer, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Sierra counties. A third and final phase would begin at 4 p.m. Thursday and impact 400 customers in Humboldt and Trinity counties.
Starting at 5 p.m. Wednesday, PG&E plans to open 40 community resource centers for customers impacted by the PSPS.
Once an all-clear has been issued, crews will inspect the de-energized lines for damage. The utility said the goal is to then restore power to most customers within 12 daylight hours.
The power shutoff and red flag warning come as crews continue to battle 13 major wildfires across the state, including the Glass Fire in Napa and Sonoma counties and the August Complex in Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, Tehama and Trinity counties.
As of Tuesday morning, the Glass Fire had burned 67,484 acres and was 97 percent contained; the August Complex had burned 1,029,037 acres and was 76 percent contained. The Zogg Fire in Shasta County, meanwhile, was reported Tuesday to be fully contained after burning 56,388 acres.
Since the beginning of the year, 8,500-plus wildfires have burned more than 4.1 million acres in California. Thirty-one people have been killed, and 9,200 structures have been leveled.
“We have had a historic fire season this year, and it has been extremely challenging for many,” said PG&E senior meteorologist Scott Strenfel. “We are now and will continue to be in the peak of fire season until the rain and snow return. And all of us here hope that it returns sooner than later.”