California utility cutting power to thousands as fire danger rises

SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Gas and Electric says it will shut off power to about 87,000 customers in parts of more than a dozen Northern California counties.

The utility issued a statement Sunday evening saying the move was prompted by extreme fire weather conditions and strong winds.

The move comes less than a week after reports that two sagging PG&E power lines made contact, sparked and ignited a wildfire in 2017 that killed four people and injured a firefighter. The utility’s equipment has been blamed in 13 wildfires last year. PG&E has told shareholders it expects to pay more than $2.5 billion in damages related to the fires.

Red flag fire warnings hit areas including the East Bay hills in Oakland and Fremont, the hills of Napa and eastern Sonoma counties, the Diablo Range, the North Bay mountains, the Sacramento Valley and the northern Sierra Nevada and Northern Coast Range.

The utility says most customers can expect power to be restored on Monday night.

Gusty winds are expected Sunday in the hills of the Bay Area. Wind gusts in the higher elevations of the North Bay could reach as high as 50 mph.

Pat Hogan, senior vice president of electric operations, says: “Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and the communities we serve. We know how much our customers rely on electric service, and we have made the decision to turn off power as a last resort given the extreme fire danger conditions these communities are experiencing.”