PG&E Plans Third Round of Power Shutoffs Affecting Nearly One Million Customers
PG&E initiates massive weekend blackouts across 38 counties and immediately warns of a third planned shutoff starting Tuesday. The utility takes these extreme measures to prevent its equipment from sparking wildfires during historically strong winds.
Pacific Gas & Electric cuts power to nearly 940,000 customers across 38 California counties as part of its ongoing effort to prevent wildfires during severe wind conditions. This massive blackout begins Saturday evening and leaves millions of residents without electricity, while an additional 100,000 customers experience unrelated emergent outages.
Even as crews work to restore power to the initial affected areas, PG&E warns that a third round of planned shutoffs starts Tuesday morning and lasts through midday Wednesday. This upcoming outage impacts 32 counties, and the utility cautions that some customers face continuous outages as the weather events overlap.
Restoration efforts are already underway in parts of the North Valley, Northern Sierra, and North Coast regions, with full inspection patrols scheduled to begin early Monday morning. Meanwhile, the California Health and Human Services agency activates an emergency hotline to assist medically vulnerable individuals and help healthcare facilities secure necessary resources during the prolonged blackouts.