Thousands of Californians at risk of losing electricity due to strong winds and threat of wildfire

Tens of thousands of Northern Californians are likely to lose power on Tuesday as gusty winds return to the region, potentially sparking more wildfires in a state where the second largest fire on record burns in over half a million acres.

California’s largest utility, Pacific Gas and Electric, on Sunday warned about 39,000 customers in 16 counties that they could lose power when operators shut down equipment to avoid wildfires.

The utility said on its website Monday that the outages were “likely.”

Most of the closures will occur in two counties, one in Butte, one of four counties where the massive Dixie Fire burned nearly 570,000 acres, the utility said.

Just over a quarter of the blaze, which started more than a month ago and destroyed the historic town of Greenville in the Sierra Nevada this month, was surrounded by containment lines Monday after -midday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Strong offshore winds are expected to pick up on Tuesday evening, a potentially devastating event as most of California experiences “extreme” or “exceptional” drought. The utility said the closures could last up to two days for some customers.

The utility began using the proactive measure during a wave of devastating wildfires in recent years, including the deadliest in state history, the 2018 campfire. pleaded guilty to unlawfully starting the fire, which left at least 84 people dead, after investigators blamed its transmission lines.

PG&E, which declared bankruptcy following the fire, also pleaded guilty to 84 counts of manslaughter.