PG&E

PG&E power shutoffs underway in the Bay Area amid high fire danger

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PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) were in effect Friday due to fire weather conditions, leaving thousands of Bay Area customers in the dark.

Below is a breakdown of the PSPS impact by county as of Saturday afternoon.

COUNTYCUSTOMERS IMPACTED
Alameda118
Contra Costa930
Napa2,984
Santa Clara466
Solano2,001
Sonoma1,001
BAY AREA TOTAL7,500

To see the specific areas impacted by a PSPS, visit pge.com/pspsupdates.

PG&E has opened Community Resource Centers in the impacted areas. The public can visit the centers to charge their phones and other devices, access Wi-Fi, and get customer service support. Blankets, air conditioning, snacks and bottled water are also available.

"We’re really concerned about, for example, anything blowing into the line any reason what we call a fault in the system that would result in a spark," said Dave Canny of PG&E. "Any spark with wind could lead to a fire that could get out of control driven by weather."

The PSPS outages could continue through Saturday night.

"The duration and extent of power outages will depend on the weather in each area, and not all customers will be affected for the entire period," PG&E said in a statement.

Already, fires have burned parts of the Bay Area. Of note, the Keller Fire in the Oakland Hills burned 13 acres and damaged two structures on Friday.

Over 100 firefighters responded to the blaze, and mandatory evacuations are in place.

Separately, the City of Berkley has declared extreme fire weather, which will begin at 7 p.m. and last until Saturday morning.

According to the Berkeley Fire Department, residents living in the hills are advised to evacuate before 8 p.m., and all residents should prepare for wildfire evacuations.

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