BUTTE COUNTY, California — 2:15 p.m. update:
Pacific Gas and Electric has given the all clear for Colusa, Glenn and Yolo counties and will begin to restore power to areas affected by shutoffs.
PG&E said it is currently patrolling and inspecting locations. The utility company will inspect lines, poles and towers and repair any damage before restoring power.
Original story:
Power has been shut off in wind-prone parts of Northern California to prevent sparking wires from igniting new wildfires during a new round of gusty, dry weather.
PG&E’s online map of public safety power shutoffs shows large clusters of outages in the northern Sacramento Valley and the northern Sierra Nevada foothills and in the Bay Area early Thursday. The utility had said it would begin shutoffs at 8 p.m. Wednesday in targeted areas of 15 counties, affecting about 37,000 customers. The number of customers impacted has been reduced by 4,300 due to PG&E removing numerous Bay Area counties from the shutoffs lift.
PG&E shut off power in an attempt to prevent utility-started wildfires during the Red Flag Warning issued by the National Weather Service.
Shutoffs are expected to last until Friday evening, currently estimated at 10 p.m., for people living in the Sacramento Valley and the Sierra Nevada foothills.
- In the Sierra Nevada foothills, Butte County had 10,259 customers and 922 medical baseline customers without power.
- Glenn County had 162 customers and 7 medical baseline customers without power. And, Plumas County had 434 customers and 8 medical baseline customers affected.
- In the Sacramento Valley, Colusa County had 4 customers affected, and Yolo County had 10 customers without power.
PG&E customers could include homes, apartment buildings and businesses.
Most of the huge wildfires that have scorched California this year have been fully or significantly contained.
WATCH ALSO:
Kim Nalder reminds voters that voter intimidation is illegal and that who you individually voted for is anonymous.