SoCal Edison could cut off the power despite tonight's fire danger

SUNLAND, California (KABC) –

While powerful Santa Ana winds blow in southern California late Sunday night, southern California is looking at the unprecedented step of cutting power in areas where fires could cause fires.

In the past, electrical equipment has been accused of causing wildfires that spread rapidly in the same type of dry and windy conditions expected overnight. The company is facing lawsuits for allegations that its equipment would have been behind the start of the huge Thomas Fire.

RELATED: Edison facing Thomas Fire

SoCal Edison has launched a new program called "Power Failure for Public Safety", which is to proactively cut power in areas where winds could be the strongest.

Sunday night could be the first time that it is put into action.

The company has sent alerts to inform customers in 41 cities in four counties – Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura and San Bernardino – that the power could eventually be cut. Edison does not know yet where and when this could happen. Officials will monitor the weather Sunday evening to Monday morning and make the decision when the wind rises in various communities.

Details on the operation of the program and the communities likely to be affected are available here.

Some residents of the area told Eyewitness News that they could live with the inconvenience of the power outage, as it could save lives and property by preventing forest fires.

"I think if it's needed, it should be done," said John Hart, a Sunland resident. "We just have to bite the ball, we are the ones who choose to live here, so you have to take good with evil."

This story has been updated to reflect the fact that San Bernardino, and not Santa Barbara, is one of the counties likely to be affected by the outage.