OAKLAND – Critical fire weather conditions in the coming days could lead Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to switch off power to portions of the Bay Area and beyond.
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The Oakland-based utility on Tuesday said public safety power shutoffs are likely Thursday through Saturday in parts of Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
The intentional electrical outages are called to prevent PG&E’s equipment from sparking fires.
Shutoffs are also likely Thursday in Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, Shasta, Tehama and Yolo counties, according to PG&E.
The utility said that list will expand Friday and Saturday to include the counties of Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Sierra, Stanislaus and Tuolumne.
The forecast calls for offshore winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 45 mph and daytime relative humidity as low as 10%, according to the National Weather Service.
That combination could result in easier fire starts and potential for rapid spread, the NWS said.
In response to the weather conditions, the NWS has issued a red flag warning from 11 p.m. Thursday to 5 p.m. Saturday for the interior Bay Area and the Central Coast, including San Francisco, the Peninsula coast and the San Francisco Bay shoreline.
Check back for updates.