PG&E may blackout power from 17th to prevent wildfires, affecting 5 Bay Area counties_2
In a recent statement, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has announced potential power shutoffs starting Thursday due to increased wildfire risks in the Bay Area. This measure may affect customers in five counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, PG&E is closely monitoring weather conditions, particularly focusing on offshore dry winds that have amplified concerns about wildfires. Starting Thursday, a total of 30 counties across the state could experience power outages. Specific addresses, maps, and detailed information about these outages are typically released two days prior to the planned shutoffs.
These potential outages coincide with a red flag warning in parts of the Bay Area, which will go into effect Thursday night at 11 PM and last until Saturday at 5 PM. The red flag warning will cover most of the Bay Area, excluding coastal Marin County, along with regions such as Sacramento Valley, Nevada foothills, Lake County, Delta, northern San Joaquin Valley, and Central Coast, but not including the Monterey Bay coastline.
PG&E aims to ensure safety in certain areas by shutting down power services, as dry and hot conditions could cause their equipment to fail, leading to wildfires. Meteorologists predict north to northeast winds in the Santa Clara mountains, North Bay, and East Bay valleys could reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour, with gusts in the North Bay and East Bay hills hitting 60 miles per hour or more. The strongest winds are expected Friday morning and Saturday morning.
According to the Northern California Geographic Area Coordination Center, vegetation in Northern California is significantly drier than usual after experiencing a hot summer, particularly following the heatwave in early October. The relative humidity during the day on Friday and Saturday may drop to 10%, further drying out vegetation. Given these dry conditions and strong winds, any ignition could lead to rapidly spreading and uncontrollable fires.
