Local
High-wind safety shutoffs leave thousands without power across North Bay and East Bay
PG&E had cut electricity to 6,824 customers in five Bay Area counties by Thursday morning, with another 444 outages reported in Mendocino County. The utility said shutoffs could continue Thursday and Friday as it responds to forecasts of high winds and dry conditions.
PG&E had shut off power to 6,824 customers in five Bay Area counties by 6 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, as a precaution against wildfire risks from forecast high winds and dry conditions. Another 444 customers in Mendocino County were also without power.
The utility began switching off service around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday under its Public Safety Power Shutoff program. Napa County had the most affected customers, at 3,158, followed by Sonoma County with 2,169 and Contra Costa County with 1,358. Outages also affected 88 customers in Alameda County and 51 in Solano County.
PG&E said about 90,000 customers in 29 counties were included in the broader shutoff plan. Additional outages were scheduled for Thursday morning and Friday morning. The utility said it had sent multiple notifications to customers expected to lose service.
More than 40 Community Resource Centers were planned across 25 counties, where residents can access device charging, Wi-Fi, bottled water, snacks and other supplies. The shutoffs are intended to reduce the chance that strong winds will bring down power lines and spark fires, but they also leave households and businesses without electricity while the utility manages the risk.