UPDATE (Friday, Dec. 15) - PG&E announced Friday that it has canceled the potential Public Safety Power Shutoff for approximately 100 customers in Santa Barbara County.
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(Thursday, Dec. 14) - Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is warning that it may cut power to some customers late this week and into the weekend due to the potential for strong winds forecasted to start late Thursday.
PG&E says the potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) could start at around 9 a.m. on Friday.
Fewer than 1,000 customers in Santa Barbara and Kern counties would be affected. That includes a little more than 100 customers in Santa Barbara County. PG&E says it has started sending advanced notifications to those customers.
The purpose of a PSPS is to reduce the risk of a wildfire being sparked by powerlines.
According to PG&E, the utility company looks at the following conditions when deciding whether to issue a PSPS:
- Low humidity levels, generally 30% and below
- A forecast of high winds, particularly sustained winds above 19 miles per hour and wind gusts above 30-40 miles per hour
- Condition of dry materials on the ground and low moisture content of vegetation
- A Red Flag Warning declared by the National Weather Service
- Real-time ground observations from PG&E crews working across the service area
- Trees tall enough to strike powerlines
PG&E says its in-house meteorologists, Emergency Operations Center, and Hazard Awareness and Warning Center will continue to monitor the weather conditions.
