PG&E preps for potential power shut offs from high winds

FRESNO, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – Public Safety power outages are already underway in Northern California.

PG&E officials say there is potential for high winds across the state and in the foothills, and because of that, they want to take precautions.

Shutting off power could prevent fires before they start.

This comes despite recent cooler temps. A mix of high winds, low relative humidity and no substantial rainfall for months could mean disaster if a fire were to start.

“By de-energizing our electricity this prevents any fires to start, if a tree branch or any type of downed power line falls on the ground it does prevent fires from starting,” PG&E Acting Regional Vice President Kari Chester said.

A downed power line, with dry fuel and vegetation, could prove dangerous. Chester said with these conditions in the forecast, they plan for the potential of public safety power shut-offs.

“When there are conditions that arise with weather occasionally, we’ll make a decision for the public, for public safety,” she said.

As of Thursday evening, some shut-offs were already in effect in Northern California from Redding down to counties north of and surrounding the Bay Area. Across the region where power is already shut off, wind gusts were recorded anywhere from 20 to close to 40 miles per hour.

If these shut-offs happen in Central California, PG&E said they are expected to happen starting Friday at 2 a.m. and could last throughout the day and even into the weekend.

“Customers will be impacted roughly to the next day, which would be the 19th. And this is all anticipating weather and wind and if we’re able to restore customers quicker as soon as the risk passes, we will do so,” Chester said.

If they do go ahead with the shutoff, officials advise those who are impacted and need to charge batteries and medical devices to come to two locations, one in Auberry and one in North Fork.

For the latest on outages, click here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS47 and KSEE24 | YourCentralValley.com.