California gusts prompt blackout warnings

Nearly 32,000 customers in Southern California were warned of power shutoffs Sunday as dry, gusty winds whip up critical wildfire conditions across almost 6,000 square miles in the region, with another 180,000 affected in the northern part of the state later in the week.

The winds gusting as high as 50 miles per hour could affect mountains and coastal areas, including Ventura, Los Angeles and San Diego counties, putting 2.6 million people at risk in 5,774 square miles, the National Weather Service said. About 31,975 customers could have their power turned off because of the fire threat, according to Southern California Edison's website.

While not as severe, the threat remains elevated through today.

"If fire ignition occurs, conditions may be favorable for extreme fire behavior which would threaten life and property," the weather service said.

The state's largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric Corp., is warning that it may cut power to about 180,000 customers in the North Bay and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada starting on Wednesday because of a forecast of dry, windy weather. The areas -- some set for their driest seasons in six decades -- could be affected by the orchestrated blackouts designed to prevent power lines from sparking wildfires.

"Both the forecast and the scope of the weather event remain very fluid three days ahead of the event," the utility said.

Pacific Gas & Electric provoked widespread anger last month after conducting a series of mass blackouts that left some customers in the dark for days. The utility's equipment caused fires in Northern California in 2017 and 2018, saddling it with an estimated $30 billion in liabilities and eventually forcing it into bankruptcy. Its strategy of pre-emptive outages this year has drawn anger from customers and state lawmakers who say they've gone too far.

Sempra Energy also said it's monitoring the weather, where adverse conditions may lead to the possibility of a power shutoff.

California has had little rain for months, and more than 81% of the state is abnormally dry, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor in Lincoln, Neb. The parched plants and soils, along with the winds called Santa Anas, make fall one of the worst times for fires there.

A Section on 11/18/2019

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