Potential power outages and when to expect them in the Bay Area

OAKLAND, Calif. – Starting Thursday evening, large parts of Pacific Gas & Electric's territory will be hit by offshore wind that could spark wildfires. But as large as the area is, the areas forcibly cordoned off will be small.

To make an analogy, it's like trying to figure out the exact path of a hurricane.

Rodie's Feed and Pet Supply on Marsh Creek Road near Byron is locally owned and staffed and is within an area that could be cut off by a barrier. All the people who work here have been through several.

Primary power lines run along Kirker Pass Road in Concord, California on September 20, 2021. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)

“We’re pretty used to it. Sometimes it's just tedious. They just turn it off and then even if there is no wind, it takes a long time to turn it back on,” said Byron area resident Jennifer Ljepava. “Yes. We are stressed because there was a fire in Morgan Territory that was ignited by strong winds from a dung heap,” Ljepava said.

A “public safety power shutoff” is a stressor for mountain residents and pet owners. “So when it’s hot or windy. We have a problem. We have water storage containers. But without electricity, our well doesn’t pump,” said resident Raigen Vandiver.

The latest PSPS is the largest recommendation in three years.

Closures could potentially affect 32,000 customers spanning 400 miles in 28 counties from Shasta in the north to Santa Barbara in the south, including Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa and Santa Clara in the Bay Area.

Patti Poppe, CEO of PG&E Corp., in San Francisco, Calif., Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

“This sophistication is fundamentally taken into account when planning this event. You know, it's not that broad. What we’re really doing is targeting the event to the highest risk areas,” said PG&E meteorologist Scott Strenfel.

In the Bay Area, all possible closures begin at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in the North Bay; 8 to 10 p.m. in the East and South Bays.

Had this happened in 2019 or 2020, thanks to huge advances in science and technology, not just 32,000 but hundreds of thousands of customers would be under a potential PSPS.

“So that’s what they’re doing and working on it. So that’s what stands out to me,” Ljepava said.

“I would say I would prefer the security of a power outage because I live in a large area,” Vandiver said. She said if it catches fire, her family's home will be destroyed.

Today, PG&E has 1,575 weather stations and more than 600 of its own wildfire warning cameras in its territory, as well as many more owned by Cal Fire and other agencies. The result is fewer shutdowns in small areas for shorter periods of time and frequent event changes to avoid unnecessary shutdowns.

Oakland is not currently dealing with any PSPS issues. But Oakland has what everyone else has, and that's a warning. Therefore, this is something that everyone everywhere should take very seriously.

“This weekend is an especially cautious situation due to the winds and predicted wind speeds of 40 to 50 mph at our peaks,” Oakland Fire Department Chief Damon Covington said.

PG&E will provide a PSPS update for us tomorrow at a major service site.