Power cut to thousands in California to prevent wildfires

SAN FRANCISCO — Thousands of people in wine country woke up without power Thursday amid a fall heat wave that brought another round of extreme wildfire danger to large portions of already battered Northern California.

Pacific Gas and Electric cut power starting Wednesday evening to more than 45,000 customers — about 100,000 people — mainly in the Sierra Nevada foothills and the San Francisco Bay Area. Another 22,000 people were expected to lose power later Thursday.