By admin 
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. warned that fewer than 14,000 customers in portions of 11 Northern California counties and four tribal areas could face Public Safety Power Shutoffs this weekend as strong winds increase wildfire danger in the Sierra foothills and western portions of the Sacramento Valley.
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PG&E meteorologists were tracking the potential for winds of 45 to 50 mph across parts of the utility’s service area beginning Saturday morning and lasting through Sunday evening, the company said in a statement Thursday.
PG&E said possible shutoffs Saturday could affect portions of El Dorado, Lassen, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra and Tehama counties.
On Sunday, the potential shutoff area expands to portions of Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lassen, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Tehama and Yolo counties.
By Monday, PG&E said possible shutoffs were limited to portions of Colusa, Glenn and Tehama counties.
The utility said in a PSPS outlook that breezy to gusty westerly winds were forecast Saturday, followed by north winds Sunday along the west side of the Sacramento Valley. PG&E said low humidity and critically dry vegetation could create conditions that warrant deliberate outages to reduce the risk of electrical equipment sparking wildfires.
The National Weather Service in Sacramento said wind gusts could reach 20 to 35 mph at times through Monday, with daytime humidity as low as 10% to 25% across the Sacramento Valley, Delta and adjacent foothills.
PG&E said its Emergency Operations Center was activated Wednesday evening to monitor the fire-weather threat.
Customers in areas that could be affected would be notified by email, phone call or text, PG&E said.
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What are Public Safety Power Shutoffs?
PG&E uses the public safety power shutoffs to cut electricity in targeted areas when extreme weather threatens to turn power lines into wildfire ignition sources. Here’s what California customers need to know about why outages happen, how to prepare and what to expect:
Why it happens: PG&E shuts off power preemptively when forecasts call for strong winds, low humidity and dry conditions that could allow electrical equipment to spark a wildfire, with red flag conditions like gusty winds and single-digit humidity triggering recent shutoffs earlier this summer.
The track record: PG&E’s equipment has been blamed for starting more than 30 wildfires since 2017 that destroyed more than 23,000 homes and businesses and killed more than 100 people, including the 2018 Camp Fire that devastated Paradise.
How to prepare: PG&E opens community resource centers during shutoffs offering water, snacks, blankets, device charging and Wi-Fi for affected customers, typically operating from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Restoration takes time: Power isn’t restored immediately after weather improves — in a 2023 event, PG&E crews patrolled 589 miles of transmission and distribution lines using 78 ground personnel, 20 helicopters and two drones before re-energizing customers.
Sacramento is different: SMUD customers are not affected by PG&E shutoffs because SMUD’s grid is not reliant on PG&E and its 900-square-mile service territory is outside of high-risk wildfire areas.
Not the same as rolling blackouts: PSPS events differ from rolling blackouts, which are planned one- to two-hour outages declared when energy demand exceeds supply, typically during heat waves.
Check your status: Customers can check whether their address is being monitored and sign up for alerts at pge.com/psps, with the site offering a seven-day forecast, outage maps and preparation tips.
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