Potential power shutoffs and when to expect them in the Bay Area

OAKLAND, Calif. - Starting Thursday evening, much of Pacific Gas & Electric's territory will be blasted by offshore wind that could ignite wildfires. But big as the area is, those forcibly shut off will be small.  

To make a comparison, this is like trying to figure out the exact path of a hurricane.       

Locally owned and staffed, Rodie's Feed and Pet Supply on Marsh Creek Road, near Byron, is within one area that could be cut off by a shutoff. All the folks working here have gone through several. 

"We're pretty much used to it. It's just sometimes that it's a hassle. They just shut if off and then, even if there's no wind, it takes them a very long time to put it back on," said Byron area resident Jennifer Ljepava. "Yes. We do get stressed because there was a fire out on Morgan Territory that was ignited because of the high winds from a manure pile," said Ljepava.

A ‘Public Safety Power Shutoff’ is a hill country and animal owner stress factor. "So when it's hot, or it's windy. We have an issue. We have storage containers for water. But without electricity, our well doesn't pump," said local resident Raigen Vandiver.

The latest PSPS is the biggest advisory in three years. 

Shutoffs could potentially affect 32,000 customers stretching over 400 miles in 28 counties from Shasta in the north to Santa Barbara in the south, including Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, and Santa Clara in the Bay Area. 

"That sophistication is basically being added to scoping this event. You know, it's not so broad. What we're really doing is trying to target the event towards the most risky areas," said PG&E Meteorologist Scott Strenfel.

In the Bay Area, all potential shutoffs will begin Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in the North Bay; 8 to 10 p.m. in the East and South Bay.  

Thanks to vast improvements in science and technology, had this happened in 2019 or 2020, hundreds of thousands of customers would be under a possible PSPS, not just 32,000. 

"So they are, doing some work with that. So, I do notice," said Ljepava.  

"I would say that I'd rather have the safety of power going out because I do live on a good amount of acreage," said Vandiver. She said if it catches fire, that's the end of her family's home. 

Today PG&E has 1,575 weather stations in its territory and more than 600 of its own wildfire alert cameras plus many more owned by Cal Fire and other agencies. The result is fewer shutoffs, over small areas for shorter times, often changing over the event to avoid unnecessary shutoffs.

Oakland has no PSPS issues to deal with right now. But Oakland has what everybody else has and that is a Red Flag Warning. As a result, that's something that everyone everywhere should take very seriously. 

The National Weather Service issued the warning for much of the Bay Area starting at 11 p.m. on Thursday. The Red Flag Warning is in effect until 5 p.m. on Saturday. 

"It's a particularly cautious situation this weekend because of the winds and the predicted forty to fifty mile an hour winds in our high points," said Oakland Fire Department Chief Damon Covington.

PG&E will have an PSPS update for us tomorrow at a major service lot.

People can look up if their location is at risk of the utility's Public Safety Power Shutoff actions by visiting www.pge.com/pspsupdates.