Critical Fire Weather: PG&E May Proactively Turn Off Power for Safety in Portions of 12 California Counties

PG&E May Proactively Turn Off Power for Safety in Portions of 12 Counties

Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced Saturday night it may turn off power in parts of 12 counties within the next 24 hours due to expected extreme fire danger conditions.

A press release from the company cites a red flag warning from the National Weather Service and other factors as reason for turning off power late Saturday night into Sunday morning.

The company said it will likely turn off power for safety reasons ahead of Sunday evening, where wind conditions are forecasted to last into Monday morning.

The counties that would be affected are:

• Lake County (Clearlake, Clearlake Oaks, Clearlake Park, Cobb, Finley, Hidden Valley Lake, Kelseyville, Lakeport, Lower Lake, Middletown)
• Napa County (Angwin, Calistoga, Deer Park, Lake Berryessa, Napa, Pope Valley, Saint Helena)
• Sonoma County (Cloverdale, Geyserville, Healdsburg, Santa Rosa)
• Yuba County (Brownsville, Camptonville, Challenge, Dobbins, Marysville, Oregon House, Strawberry Valley)
• Butte County (Berry Creek, Brush Creek, Clipper Mills, Feather Falls, Forbestown, Oroville)
• Sierra County (Alleghany, Downieville, Goodyears Bar, Pike City, Sierra City),
• Placer County (Alta, Applegate, Auburn, Baxter, Colfax, Dutch Flat, Emigrant Gap, Foresthill, Gold Run, Loomis, Meadow Vista, Weimar)
• Nevada County (Chicago Park, Grass Valley, Nevada City, North San Juan, Penn Valley, Rough and Ready, Soda Springs, Washington)
• El Dorado County (Aukum, Camino, Coloma, Cool, Diamond Springs, El Dorado, Fair Play, Garden Valley, Georgetown, Greenwood, Grizzly Flats, Kelsey, Kyburz, Mount Aukum, Omo Ranch, Pacific House, Placerville, Pollock Pines, Shingle Springs, Silver Fork, Somerset, Strawberry, Twin Bridges)
• Amador County (Fiddletown, Jackson, Pine Grove, Pioneer, Plymouth, Sutter Creek, Volcano)
• Plumas County (La Porte)
• Calaveras (Glencoe, Mokelumne Hill, Mountain Ranch, Rail Road Flat, West Point, Wilseyville)

We are working directly with first responders and state and local agencies to help prepare for this potential safety event. We are conducting outreach to customers in potentially affected areas and also doing special outreach to PG&E customers who are on Medical Baseline.

“The safety of our customers and the communities we serve is PG&E’s top priority. We know how much our customers rely on electric service and would only consider temporarily turning off power in the interest of safety, and as a last resort during extreme weather conditions. PG&E has a plan. We want our customers to have plans, too.” said Kevin Dasso, vice president of electric asset management.

When and where possible, PG&E will provide early warning notification as well as updates until power is restored. Extreme weather threats can change quickly. Out of an abundance of caution, PG&E is providing notice to customers in advance of this safety event through automated phone calls, texts, social media and emails effective immediately.

PG&E May Proactively Turn Off Power for Safety in Portions of 12 Counties

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Critical Fire Weather : CAL OES Pre-positioned Fire Resources and Emergency Personnel Dispatched to North SF Bay Area

With Strong Winds and Red Flag Conditions, Cal OES Pre-Positions Critical Firefighting Resources and Personnel in North Bay Area

In preparation for dangerous fire weather conditions, including high winds, anticipated to impact Northern California Counties, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) has strategically pre-positioned critical fire response resources to include strike teams of fire engines, firefighters, water tenders and emergency dispatchers in the designated impacted areas.

These resources and personnel are staffing up into position as early as this evening and into tomorrow. The pre-positioned fire resources and emergency personnel include:

• Sonoma County Operational Area – one Type-3 engine strike team, one water tender, one emergency dispatcher
• Marin County Operational Area – one task force of Type-3 fire engines and one water tender, one additional water tender, one emergency dispatcher
• Solano County Operational Area – one Type-3 engine strike team
• Alameda County Operational Area – one Type-3 engine strike team, one water tender, one emergency dispatcher
• Contra Costa Operational Area – one task force of Type-3 fire engines and one water tender, one emergency dispatcher
• Napa County Operational Area – one Type-3 engine strike team, one emergency dispatcher
• Santa Clara County Operational Area – one Type-3 engine strike team
• Lake County Operational Area – one task force of Type-3 engines, a water tender and a leader, one additional water tender

All pre-positioned resources are expected to remain in place until fire weather conditions improve in the region. Additional resources could be staffed up as well, depending on the weather conditions across the state.

A strike team includes five fire engines with 15 firefighters and a strike team leader. A task force is five fire resources of different types/vehicles, such as four fire engines and one water tender make up a single task force.

The National Weather Service is forecasting unusually low relative humidity and winds gusting up to 35 miles per hour, creating Red Flag weather conditions over parts of Northern California through Monday.

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will soon. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire potential and erratic fire behavior.

Click here to see the National Weather Service’s Red Flag warnings.

The public is urged is remain aware of their surrounding conditions and to avoid outdoor activities that can cause a spark near dry vegetation, such as yard work, target shooting, or campfires and follow local fire restrictions. Also, remember to have an emergency plan in place, emergency preparedness kits at home and vehicles full of fuel; sign-up for emergency alerts; listen to authorities and warnings and be prepared to evacuate if necessary.

The Cal OES Warning Center and State Operations Center will monitor conditions and be ready for further resource requests as necessary throughout the Red Flag period.

For more from Cal OES, visit CalOES.ca.gov and follow us on Twitter @Cal_OES.For more information on Cal OES Fire Regions, click here.
Original article CAL OES http://www.oesnews.com/prepo101318/

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