NorCal on Red Flag Fire Watch as PG&E Mulls Power Shutdown

Increasing winds and low humidity has resulted in a Red Flag Warning for areas of Northern California on Friday afternoon through Saturday evening. Areas in the NorCal valley are particularly at risk, with outdoor burning not recommended in the area:

With the conditions putting areas of NorCal at risk of wildfires, PG&E has issued a statement that a potential Public Safety Power Shutoff could occur in the next 36 hours:

ADVISORY: PG&E is actively monitoring weather conditions for a potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (#PSPS) within the next 18 to 36 hours in areas of the North Bay and the Sierra foothills where extreme fire risks exist. More information here: https://t.co/syAmOcutvK pic.twitter.com/ibhM5zWcXf

— PG&E (@PGE4Me) June 7, 2019

“We know how much our customers rely on electric service and would only consider temporarily turning off power in the interest of safety during extreme weather conditions,” said Michael Lewis, PG&E’s senior vice president of Electric Operations.

A Red Flag Warning is issued for weather events which may result in extreme fire behavior that will occur within 24 hours. A Fire Weather Watch is issued when weather conditions could exist in the next 12-72 hours. A Red Flag Warning is the highest alert. During these times extreme caution is urged by all residents, because a simple spark can cause a major wildfire.

The notice comes as a shocking revelation, considering significant precipitation had just fallen on NorCal a week ago. But significant fuels in wooded areas continue to remain a concern for residents, firefighters and PG&E as we enter what could be another potentially devastating fire season.

Here are the areas where power might be shut off:

Napa County: Portions of Napa, Lake Berryessa

Solano County: Portions of Suisun City, Vacaville, Winters

Yolo County: Portions of Davis, Winters

For the Sierra foothills, there is the potential for a Public Safety Power Shutoff affecting about 21,000 customers starting around 9 p.m. on Saturday with the peak period of fire risk lasting until 10 a.m. on Sunday.

Areas where power might be shut off:

Butte County: Portions of Paradise, Oroville, Bangor, Forest Ranch, Chico, Berry Creek, Palermo

Yuba County: Portions of Browns Valley, Oregon House, Marysville, Wheatland, Rackerby

Nevada County: Portions of Auburn, Grass Valley, Smartville, Rough and Ready, Penn Valley

El Dorado County: Portions of Pilot Hill, Greenwood, Georgetown, Cool

Placer County: Portions of Lincoln

If you live in these communities, PG&E will attempt to contact you via telephone, text and email.