Shut-off expected through Friday
Shutdown began 5 p.m. Wednesday
In anticipation of a dry wind event over the next few days, PG& E initiated a public safety power shut- off Wednesday evening, which will affect more than an estimated 11,000 customers in Butte County.
PG& E spokesman Paul Moreno said in an email Wednesday afternoon that the utility company has been alerting affected customers of the shut-off. An advance notice was sent earlier in the week for affected customers.
Approximately 54,000 customers statewide in 24 counties for regions including the Northern Sierra Nevada foothills, mid and higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada mostly north of Yosemite, portions of the North Bay near Mount St. Helena and portions of the East Bay.
Butte County has 11,315 customers and 982 medical baseline customers affected by the outage, themost of any county. Tehama County also has 1,230 customers and 58medical baseline customers likely to be impacted.
A Tuesday press release from PG&E said customers enrolled in the Medical Baseline Program who do not confirm they received notification of the power shut- off will be visited by a PG&E employee. Priority will be given to customers who rely on critical life-sustaining equipment.
PG&E opened community resource centers beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday, closing at 10 p.m. They will also be open on Thursday and Friday from8 a.m. to 10 p.m., but will close once power is restored. Moreno said PG&E expects to restore power to nearly all customers by Friday evening.
“Because restoration occurs in steps as crews inspect and walk down the circuits, power is restored in section and not all at once,” Moreno said in an email Wednesday.
There are five locations in Butte County customers can visit for device charging, WiFi use, medical device support and more:
• Bangor Community Center: 7500Oro Bangor Highway, Bangor;
• American Veterans Store: 15474Forest Ranch Way, Forest Ranch;
• Magalia Pines Baptist Church: 14098Skyway Road, Magalia;
• Southside Oroville Community Center: 2959Lower Wyandotte Road, Oroville;
• Craig Memorial Congregational Church, 5665 Scottwood Road, Paradise.
PG& E's community resource centers have COVID-19 protocols in place, including requiring face coverings and maintaining six feet of physical distance between people who are not part of the same household. Temperature checks will also be conducted before people may enter a center.
Customers are advised to visit www.pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/updates for more information on the shut-offs.
Paradise staff announced Tuesday that the town will deploy backup generators Wednesday to keep traffic signals powered at all 16 intersections within town limits for the expected shutoff event.
Paradise applied for the generators through a Cal OES grant in 2019. The grant allowed town staff to purchase the generators, which are also equipped with light towers to provide better visibility to drivers and pedestrians entering intersections.
Weather, evacuations
The decision to move ahead with a power shutoff came after the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for Wednesday through Friday. Winds moving north to east are expected to reach between 15 and 25 miles per hour with gusts up to 40 mph.
Combined with low humidity and temperatures between five and 15 degrees above normal, there is a heightened risk for fire.
Cal Fire advised residents that evacuations can be more difficult under power shut- offs, especially if it's dark outside.
“No lights, being unable to open your garage door and finding your go-bag are just a few of the obstacles for which you shouldbe prepared,” Cal Fire wrote on Tuesday. Additional information on evacuation preparedness during a power outage can be found at www.ReadyForWildfire.org.
As of Wednesday, 11,000 firefighters remain on the frontlines of 20 wildfires across the state, 13 of which remain major incidents. Cal Fire-Butte County said in preparation of today's Red Flag Warning it has added additional resources and staffing including fire crews, bulldozers, engines and aircraft.