Major utility company warns of blackout for thousands of California homes over wildfire risk

Thousands of Northern California residents could be plunged into the dark this weekend as PG&E weighs shutting off electricity across wildfire-prone communities amid a dangerous cocktail of howling winds, bone-dry air and parched vegetation.The utility company has warned that Public Safety Power Shutoffs are likely Saturday and Sunday in eight counties near the Sierra Nevada and Sacramento Valley as critical fire weather bears down on the region, per KQED.El Dorado, Lassen, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra and Tehama counties are among those facing possible preemptive outages, according to PG&E.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story The utility company estimated Thursday that roughly 14,000 customers across 11 counties could potentially be affected, although officials stressed that entire counties would not necessarily lose electricity.Any shutoffs would instead be targeted to areas facing the greatest wildfire threat.“The Emergency Operations Center remains activated and PG&E meteorology is continuing to monitor the potential for elevated fire weather conditions to occur tomorrow through Monday morning,” PG&E said in its Friday forecast.The National Weather Service in Sacramento also sounded the alarm, issuing a Fire Weather Watch for portions of the Sacramento Valley and northern Sierra foothills from 11 a.m.

Saturday through 11 a.m.Monday.“Periods of gusty winds alongside low daytime humidity and limited to poor overnight recoveries are expected through the weekend,” the agency warned.The strongest winds are expected to whip through the Sierra on Saturday, with sustained speeds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts reaching 45 mph, according to KCRA 3 Meteorologist Ophelia Young.Ridgetops could get hammered by gusts as high as 55 mph.While wind...