Pacific Gas and Electric announced on Tuesday that 325 of its customers in Santa Cruz County could see their power temporarily shut off as a wildfire precaution this week.
With high winds and low humidity in the forecast, the National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning indicating critical fire weather conditions from Tuesday morning to Thursday morning for an area including Santa Cruz County.
Wind gusts are expected to hit 50 mph Tuesday night, the NWS says, as offshore winds cause the dewpoint and relative humidity to drop quickly. The agency sees those winds gradually diminishing through the day Wednesday, though the low humidity will still make for elevated fire risk.
As with a windy stretch in mid-October, Pacific Gas and Electric is again warning of Public Safety Power Shutoffs affecting 22,000 customers statewide, including the 325 in Santa Cruz County – a precaution to avoid power lines sparking fires during dry, windy weather. Santa Cruz County is among 17 California counties on PG&E’s PSPS watch list Tuesday through Thursday, with the utility urging customers to sign up for notifications for their specific address.
PG&E has increased the number of customers it expects to be affected by the shutoffs by 7,000 as conditions have worsened this week.
“Although recent precipitation has lowered fire potential, fuel conditions have worsened over the last few days under dry and strong winds, leading to elevated fire weather concerns when winds begin strengthen this evening,” the company said in a release.
PG&E is setting up a community resource center for locals affected by PSPS outages. It will be located at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 6401 Freedom Blvd., Aptos, and will be open from 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesday. Per the utility, available resources include Americans With Disabilities Act-accessible restroom and washing station; blankets, snacks and water; device charging; small medical device charging; seating and wi-fi.
How customers can prepare, via PG&E
- Use a cellphone or hard-wired phone. Cordless phones do not work without electricity.
- Use battery-operated flashlights, not candles, which may pose a fire hazard.
- Unplug or turn off all electric and heat-producing appliances (e.g., air conditioners, washers and dryers, ovens, stoves, irons) to avoid overloading circuits. Overloaded circuits can be a fire hazard once power is restored.
- Unplug televisions and computers that were in use when the power went out.
- Leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns.
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed, and place extra containers of ice inside to preserve food. A full freezer will remain colder longer.
- Notify your alarm company if you have an alarm system. Equipment can be affected by outages.
- Turn your appliances back on one at a time when conditions return to normal.
- Reset clocks, thermostats and other programmed equipment after power is restored.
Fire-safe tips from Cal Fire
- No bonfires or campfires.
- Properly extinguish fires.
- Properly dispose of cigarettes.
- Avoid using fire-prone tools in the heat of the day.
- Properly maintain vehicles and trailers.
- Don’t park on dry grass.
- Follow local fire restrictions.
- Create defensible space around your property.
- Store flammable materials safely.
- No fireworks.
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