The Latest: Utility shuts off power in California counties

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Latest on Pacific Gas and Electric shutting off power to about 87,000 customers in parts of more than a dozen Northern California counties (all times local):

Pacific Gas and Electric says it will shut off power to about 87,000 customers in parts of more than a dozen Northern California counties.

The utility issued a statement Sunday evening saying the move was prompted by extreme fire weather conditions and strong winds.

Red flag fire warnings hit areas including the East Bay hills in Oakland and Fremont, the hills of Napa and eastern Sonoma counties, the Diablo Range, the North Bay mountains, the Sacramento Valley and the northern Sierra Nevada and Northern Coast Range.

The utility says most customers can expect power to be restored on Monday night.

Pat Hogan, senior vice president of electric operations, says: "Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and the communities we serve. We know how much our customers rely on electric service, and we have made the decision to turn off power as a last resort given the extreme fire danger conditions these communities are experiencing."

Pacific Gas and Electric says it may shut off power in parts of more than a dozen Northern California counties.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the utility says the warning issued Saturday night was prompted by extreme fire weather conditions and strong winds expected Sunday.

Red flag fire warnings are expected in areas including the East Bay hills in Oakland and Fremont, the hills of Napa and eastern Sonoma counties, the Diablo Range, the North Bay mountains, the Sacramento Valley and the northern Sierra Nevada and Northern Coast Range.

PG&E said it could start turning off power Saturday night.

Gusty winds are expected Sunday in the hills of the Bay Area. Wind gusts in the higher elevations of the North Bay could reach as high as 50 mph. </s> Pacific Gas and Electric purposefully shut off electricity to nearly 60,000 customers Sunday night, in fear that predicted wind speeds could fuel another wildfire in Northern California.

The "Public Safety Power Shutoff" remained in effect for 17,000 customers as of Monday morning. PG&E said customers could be potentially without power into Tuesday, until crews can visually inspect lines for safety.

The unprecedented move to turn off power to so many customers was a "last resort given the extreme fire danger conditions these communities are experiencing" said Pat Hogan, senior vice president of electric operations in a statement. Many schools in the area were closed Monday because of the voluntary power outage.

Saturday and early Sunday, PG&E warned customers in 12 counties that the shut off might go into effect. They encouraged customers to have drinking water, canned food, flashlights, prescriptions and baby supplies on hand.

This comes after officials announced earlier this month that two sagging PG&E power lines caused a Northern California wildfire that killed four people and injured a firefighter last year. The power company has been blamed for igniting 13 wildfires last year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow Ashley May on Twitter: @AshleyMayTweets </s> FILE - In this Oct. 11, 2017 file photo, a Pacific Gas & Electric crew works at restoring power along the Old Redwood Highway in Santa Rosa, Calif. Northern California's biggest utility has taken the unprecedented step of cutting electricity for tens of thousands of customers in an attempt to prevent wildfires amid rising winds and official warnings on Monday, Oct. 15, 2018, of extreme fire danger. Pacific Gas & Electric began turning off the lights in California's wine country north of San Francisco and Sierra Nevada foothills east of Sacramento Sunday night. The utility said at least 87,000 customers had their power turned off and that more could be put in the dark depending on the weather. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File) (Eric Risberg) </s> SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Pacific Gas and Electric says it may shut off power in parts of more than a dozen Northern California counties.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the utility says the warning issued Saturday night was prompted by extreme fire weather conditions and strong winds expected Sunday.

Red flag fire warnings are expected in areas including the East Bay hills in Oakland and Fremont, the hills of Napa and eastern Sonoma counties, the Diablo Range, the North Bay mountains, the Sacramento Valley and the northern Sierra Nevada and Northern Coast Range.

PG&E said it could start turning off power Saturday night.

Gusty winds are expected Sunday in the hills of the Bay Area. Wind gusts in the higher elevations of the North Bay could reach as high as 50 mph. </s> A utility company purposefully shut off electricity to nearly 60,000 Northern California customers Sunday night, aiming to reduce wildfire risks from power lines during extreme winds.

Pacific Gas and Electric planned to restore power to 70 percent of affected customers in the North Bay and Sierra Foothills late Monday night. As crews inspect lines for safety by helicopter, vehicles and on foot, the remainder will have power sometime Tuesday.

While it was the first time the company shut off power for public safety, PG&E announced its criteria and procedures for such an event in June, said spokesperson Paul Doherty. After wildfires devastated Northern California's wine country last October, he added, PG&E developed its community wildfire safety program division to make power grids and communities more resilient.

Two sagging PG&E power lines caused one of those wildfires during heavy winds, killing four people and injuring a firefighter, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection determined earlier this month. Trees or tree branches hitting PG&E power lines started another four wildfires in October 2017. Altogether, the power company has been blamed for igniting 13 wildfires last year.

"We're adapting our electric system our operating practices to improve safety and reliability," Doherty said of the safety program. "That's really the bottom line for us."

Turning off power to so many customers was a "last resort given the extreme fire danger conditions these communities are experiencing," Pat Hogan, senior vice president of electric operations, said in a statement. Conditions that led the company to shut off power included the National Weather Service's red flag fire warnings, humidity levels, sustained winds, temperature, dry fuel and local terrain, Doherty said.

The company de-energized more than 78 miles of transmission lines and more than 2,150 miles of distribution power lines Sunday night. Many schools in the area were closed Monday because of the planned power outage.

Late Saturday and early Sunday, PG&E warned 97,000 customers in 12 counties that the shut off might go into effect. Through automated calls, texts and emails, the company encouraged customers to have drinking water, canned food, flashlights, prescriptions and baby supplies on hand.

Power was also turned off in Southern California on Monday.

San Diego Gas & Electric turned off service to about 360 customers near Cleveland National Forest, where multiple fires have scorched large swaths of land in recent years.

SDG&E has pre-emptively shut off power to customers in the past, most recently in December when 14,000 customers went without power.

Southern California Edison, the primary electric provider across Southern California — including Los Angeles — has a similar power shutoff program. As of Monday night, SCE had yet to turn off power in any of its service areas, a spokesperson told USA TODAY. </s> (CNN) A major California utility has temporarily turned off power for almost 60,000 customers because of fire threats.

Pacific Gas & Electric, based in San Francisco, announced the move because of elevated risks of fire weather -- a combination of strong winds, low humidity and dry conditions on the ground. The initiative is designed to prevent power lines from sparking fires.

Update: Public Safety Power Shutoff remains in effect for 17k customers in North Bay and 42k in Sierra Foothills. We continue to monitor the weather and will provide updates to our impacted customers in Napa, Lake, Sonoma, Amador, El Dorado and Calaveras counties. pic.twitter.com/Wqde9cqiQj — PG&E (@PGE4Me) October 15, 2018

The National Weather Service said a Red Flag Warning -- an alert that signals the potential of dire fire threat conditions -- continues through Monday morning for higher elevations of the North Bay and East Bay in northern California.

More than 22 million people are under Red Flag Warnings both in northern and southern California, CNN meteorologist Haley Brink said. An elevated risk of fire weather is forecast for northern areas and an extreme risk of fire weather has been posted for southern areas, including parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph are possible Monday. Humidity below 15% is forecast, and wind gusts up to 70 mph are possible in the higher elevations, canyons and passes, Brink said.

Read More </s> FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2017, file photo, PG&E crews work on restoring power lines in a fire ravaged neighborhood in an aerial view in the aftermath of a wildfire in Santa Rosa, Calif. Northern California's biggest utility has taken the unprecedented step of cutting electricity for tens of thousands of customers in an attempt to prevent wildfires amid rising winds and official warnings on Monday, Oct. 15, 2018, of extreme fire danger. Pacific Gas & Electric began turning off the lights in California's wine country north of San Francisco and Sierra Nevada foothills east of Sacramento Sunday night. The utility said at least 87,000 customers had their power turned off and that more could be put in the dark depending on the weather. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File) (AP) </s> SAN FRANCISCO — Concerned about downed power lines sparking wildfires, two major California utilities took the rare step of cutting power to customers amid high winds — and another power provider was considering similar action.

Pacific Gas & Electric for the first time began cutting power Sunday night to tens of thousands of customers in Northern California after the National Weather Service warned of extreme fire danger across the state due to high winds, low humidity and dry vegetation.

San Diego Gas & Electric followed suit Monday, turning off power to about 360 customers in foothill areas near Cleveland National Forest, where multiple blazes have scorched large swaths of land in recent years.

SDG&E has pre-emptively shut off power to customers in the past, most recently in December when 14,000 customers went without power — many for four days.

Pacific Gas & Electric previously announced its plan to shut off power preemptively after authorities blamed its power lines for sparking some of California’s most destructive wildfires.

The utility expects to pay billions of dollars in wildfire damages and has sought ways to limit its liability through the courts and Legislature.

PG&E said about 87,000 customers had their power halted and more could be left in the dark depending on the weather. Some 60,000 customers remained without power. Schools in those affected areas canceled classes.

PG&E said it expected to restore power Monday night to most customers — though some residents won’t get electricity back until Tuesday.

“We know how much our customers rely on electric service, and we have made the decision to turn off power as a last resort given the extreme fire danger conditions these communities are experiencing,” PG&E spokesman Pat Hogan said.

PG&E said it began notifying affected customers on Saturday about possible outages. However, many said Monday they had received little or no notice.

Stewart Munnerlyn was scrambling to find generators to save $8,000 worth of ice cream at his creamery shop in Pine Grove, about 55 miles east of Sacramento. Munnerlyn said he is in Virginia visiting a sick relative and received three text messages Sunday night from PG&E saying it might cut power, but he didn’t know it actually happened until a friend called him.

“They knew what they were going to do obviously,” Munnerlyn said. “We weren’t given enough notice to properly prepare.”

Kevin Kathman, executive chef of wine country restaurant All Seasons in Calistoga, said $12,000 worth of food at the site would spoil if power isn’t restored soon.

Instead of tossing it, he was planning to cook over a fire during a block party for the “stressed out community” that includes winery owners in the middle of grape harvest. The power went out Sunday night and Calistoga remained without electricity Monday, even though Kathman said there was no wind.

“It’s a beautiful day,” he said. “We are all in disbelief that it’s not back on.”

PG&E spokeswoman Melissa Subottin said power was also cut to hospitals and other medical providers that are required to have backup power sources. PG&E officials visited 4,400 medical customers in the affected areas to personally warn them of the outages, she said.

The weather service predicted winds gusting to 55 mph in the Sierra foothills east of Sacramento. High winds were also expected in the state’s wine country north of San Francisco.

Southern California Edison said it was considering shutting off power to an undetermined number of customers. Strong wind gusts swept across the region with the arrival of the first fall Santa Ana winds — hot, sustained gusts that blow from the desert to the ocean.

A motorist in the Orange County city of Tustin was killed when a eucalyptus tree fell on her car in an apartment complex. The victim was 34. No further details were released.

Southern California Edison spokesman David Song said about 32,000 of its 5 million customers were experiencing power outages, but no shutdowns had been ordered by the utility. Song said Edison was investigating the cause of those outages.

Associated Press writers Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco and Christopher Weber and John Antczak in Los Angeles contributed to this report. </s> SAN FRANCISCO — Northern California’s biggest utility has shut off power to tens of thousands of customers in an unprecedented step to prevent wildfires amid rising winds and official warnings of extreme fire danger.

Pacific Gas & Electric began turning off the lights in California’s wine country and other areas near the San Francisco Bay Area Sunday night. Schools in those areas cancelled Monday classes.

PG&E earlier announced its plan to shut power preemptively after authorities blamed its power lines for sparking some of California’s most destructive wildfires.

The utility faces payments of billions of dollars in damages and has sought to limit its wildfire liability in the courts and the state Legislature.

The National Weather Service forecast winds gusting to 45 mph (72 kph) on Monday in parched areas with drought-dried vegetation.
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a major California utility based in San Francisco, announces they temporarily turned off power to 60,000 customers in 12 Northern California counties due to threats of wildfires. Red flag warnings are issued to 22 million people in the state.