Pacific Gas & Electric could deny power to parts of Northern California, including Napa and Solano counties, this weekend because of heightened wildfire risk, the company announced Friday.
The shutoffs could affect the North Bay and Sierra Foothills where weather officials have issued “Red Flag” warnings because of climbing temperatures, the chance of gusty winds and low humidity.
In the North Bay, PG&E said shutoffs would most-likely occur on Saturday between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m. The deliberate blackouts could affect several thousand customers, according to the utility.
Power might also cut in parts of Napa, Lake Berryessa, Suisun City, Vacaville, Winters and Davis.
In the Sierra foothills, as many as 21,000 customers in Butte, Yuba, Nevada, El Dorado and Placer Counties could lose power Saturday evening around 9 p.m. and be in the dark through 10 a.m. Sunday morning.
Electricty could be turned off for as much as 24 to 48 hours after extreme weather has passed.
The utility said it is attempting to contact any customers that could be affected.
Customers can prepare by checking that PG&E has their updated contact information, restocking emergency kits, have a backup way to charge their phones, and make contingency plans for any medical needs that require power or refrigeration, according to the utility.
