Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has warned 386 customers in the rural hills south of the Altamont Pass, covering parts of Livermore and of unincorporated Alameda County, that it may switch off their power as soon as Friday afternoon because of dry, gusty weather, NBC Bay Area reported. Power might not come back until noon Sunday.
Across the Bay Area, the warnings cover roughly 400 customers in rural Alameda and Napa counties, and about 13 counties statewide face similar warnings, the station reported. Statewide, PG&E said about 12,200 customers could lose power in shutoffs that could run from Friday through Monday, according to KCRA.
PG&E calls these Public Safety Power Shutoffs. The utility cuts electricity ahead of hot, dry, gusty weather because wind-blown live lines can ignite wildfires, as they have before, NBC Bay Area noted.
What the forecast shows
In its daily outlook, PG&E's meteorology team said onshore winds would strengthen through gaps and over higher ground Friday afternoon, with gusts generally of 25 to 35 mph, and peak again Saturday afternoon, when gusts of 40 mph or more are possible in Bay Area and Delta gaps. The utility said dead vegetation is drying toward historic lows and that low-elevation grass is fully cured.
The National Weather Service office in the Bay Area expects a sharp cooldown over the weekend and into early next week as a strong low-pressure system moves down the coast. Inland highs Friday should be near normal for early October after a run of well-above-normal heat, forecasters said Friday morning.
Brush fire contained near Tesla Road
The warning comes a day after a small brush fire in the hills outside Livermore. The Tesla Fire was reported shortly before 4 p.m. Thursday in the 15000 block of Tesla Road near McLaughlin Road, Cal Fire said, according to Bay City News.
It burned about 4 acres, and Cal Fire had stopped its forward progress by Thursday evening. The Sacramento Bee reported Friday morning that the fire was fully contained. No cause had been released.
