PG&E began cutting power to thousands of customers in parts of the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday evening, October 14, as dry offshore winds and heightened wildfire danger swept across Northern California.
The utility warned that some outages could continue until Saturday, October 17, while crews monitored weather conditions and inspected equipment before restoring supplies.
Possible Public Safety Power Shutoffs were reported in parts of Sonoma, Napa, Contra Costa, Alameda and Solano counties. PG&E said the wider event could affect about 88,000 customers across 29 counties, although the number and locations remained subject to change.
The company said the shutoffs were intended to reduce the risk of wildfires caused by power lines during periods of strong winds and extremely dry vegetation. The National Weather Service warned of elevated to near-critical fire conditions in the higher elevations of the North Bay and East Bay, with some gusts expected to exceed 40mph.
PG&E contractors set up Community Resource Centres in affected areas, providing residents with water, snacks, charging stations, Wi-Fi and power banks. The utility said it planned to open more than 40 centres across 25 counties during the event.
The centres were intended to support customers without electricity, including those needing to charge phones or essential medical equipment. PG&E advised residents in areas facing possible shutoffs to prepare for an extended outage by charging devices, securing drinking water and food, and making arrangements for any medical needs.
