Weather
Power Restored To North Bay In PG&E Public Safety Shutoff
PG&E said it found 80 instances of downed power lines or vegetation coming into contact with electrical lines that could've ignited fires.
By Eli Walsh, Bay City News Foundation
NORTH BAY, CA — PG&E said Wednesday it has restored power to virtually all customers affected by the Public Safety Power Shutoff that began Sunday morning due to high winds and low humidity.
Roughly 345,000 customers in parts of Napa, Sonoma, Solano and 31 other counties and 17 tribal communities were affected by the shutoff.
Find out what's happening in Napa Valleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
PG&E began restoring power for all of its customers on Tuesday afternoon following an "all clear" weather notice.
"Amid historic weather conditions and the strongest winds of the wildfire season so far, we aimed to minimize the scope and length of the event," said Michael Lewis, PG&E's interim president. "Our most important responsibility has been to keep customers and communities safe."
Find out what's happening in Napa Valleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The utility inspected more than 17,000 miles of electrical lines between Monday and Wednesday to ensure its equipment did not spark or contribute to the development of a wildfire.
PG&E said its engineers found nearly 80 instances of downed power lines or vegetation coming in contact with electrical lines due to the winds that could have ignited a fire. Residents can find updated information on PG&E's power shutoffs at pge.com/pspsupdates.
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