PG & E warns it could cut off power in alarming fire conditions

USA



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  • The area around the mount. Diablo is under the red flag this weekend facing drought and gusts of wind. Photo: Kepka, Mike / The Chronicle 2008

    The area around the mount. Diablo is under the red flag this weekend facing drought and gusts of wind.

    The area around the mount. Diablo is under the red flag this weekend facing drought and gusts of wind.


    Photo: Kepka, Mike / The Chronicle 2008


Photo: Kepka, Mike / The Chronicle 2008

The area around the mount. Diablo is under the red flag this weekend facing drought and gusts of wind.

The area around the mount. Diablo is under the red flag this weekend facing drought and gusts of wind.



Photo: Kepka, Mike / The Chronicle 2008


In a rare case, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. could cut off Sunday night food in parts of the Bay Area and Sierra Foothills, in anticipation of gusty winds, dry weather and other conditions. dangerous fire.

Counties that could see precautionary power outages include Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Sierra, Placer, Nevada, Butte, Yuba, Plumas, Amador, El Dorado and Calaveras. Residents of Alameda County may also experience blackouts, said the sheriff's office.


PG & E spokeswoman Megan McFarland said the most likely time for a preventative stop was between 18:00 and 18:00. Sunday and 10 am Monday, when the National Meteorological Service predicted strong winds and low humidity at high altitude.



The underlying idea of ​​this practice – which is not a widespread notion among clients – is that a public service line that falls under a windstorm without any electrical power through it will not pose as much danger of fire. The damaged electrical equipment has caused some of the most destructive fires in California's history, including those that ravaged the wine region last year.


PG & E and some other utilities have resisted the preventive power outage, saying it poses its own risk and that police, firefighters and hospitals would run out of power if emergency.

"We know that our customers rely on electrical service and we would consider shutting down only for safety and as a last resort in extreme weather conditions," said McFarland. "Once conditions are safe, our teams will work to restore power as quickly and safely as possible."

PG & E sends e-mails, calls and sends SMS to customers to inform them of the possible interruption of service, said McFarland. She asked people to update their contact information at pge.com/monfiles.

The dangerous fire conditions will last until Monday morning in the North Bay and East Bay hills, said Brian Garcia, Meteorologist at the National Meteorological Service.

The winds are expected to increase at night, blowing from the east and reaching gusts of up to 100 km / h in the hills of Sonoma and Napa counties, Garcia said. In the Bay Area, the weather service also closely monitors the conditions in Marin, Contra Costa and Alameda counties.

Due to the fire warning, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has increased its workforce this weekend, according to the agency.


"If we remember the tragic fires that occurred at the same time last year, they should serve as a reminder to everyone to prepare for the unexpected. We have increased our staff, but the public must remain vigilant, "said Chief Ken Pimlott, director of CAL FIRE, in a statement.

Joaquin Palomino and Sarah Ravani are editors of the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected]; [email protected]. Twitter: @JoaquinPalomino; @SarRavani


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