PG&E Power Shutdown No Longer Projected Monday For North Bay

NORTH BAY, CA — UPDATE 1:40 p.m. Sept. 23: PG&E on Monday afternoon said it no longer projects the need for a public safety power shutoff later in the day to prevent wildfires in Sonoma, Napa and Lake counties.

The utility company had warned of a possible power shutoff that would have affected 33,500 customers in Sonoma County and 10,500 in Napa County.

Customers were advised to prepare for the possibility of a power shutoff to prevent wildfires from 8 p.m. Monday to 9 a.m. Tuesday, but the utility company said it would make a decision by late morning Monday whether to do so.

PG&E said it will closely monitor the weather Monday night and again Tuesday for a potential public safety power shutoff.

Sonoma County officials earlier Monday had declared a state of emergency in an abundance of caution in the event that PG&E shut off power.

The National Weather Service on Sunday issued a red flag fire weather danger warning from 9 p.m. Monday until 5 a.m. Wednesday in anticipation of a rapid increase in temperatures from Monday into Tuesday.

The warning applies to the North Bay mountains and East Bay hills including the Diablo Range, for locations at 1,000 feet elevation and higher, meteorologist Roger Gass said.

ORIGINAL STORY: PG&E announced late Sunday that approximately 44,000 customers in Sonoma and Napa counties should anticipate a power shutdown on Monday as an early fall heat wave bears down on the region late Monday into Tuesday.

The company's anticipated Public Safety Power Shutoff will affect approximately 33,500 PG&E customers in Sonoma County and 10,500 in Napa County, officials said.

The advisory from PG&E comes after the National Weather Service on Sunday afternoon issued a red flag fire weather danger warning from 9 p.m. Monday night until 5 a.m. Wednesday as it anticipates a rapid increase in temperatures from Monday into Tuesday.

The warning applies to the North Bay Mountains and East Bay Hills, including the Diablo Range, for locations at 1,000 feet in elevation and higher, said Roger Gass, a NWS meteorologist.

Winds are expected to reach 30-to-35 mph in those areas with gusts of up to 40 mph at the higher peaks and ridges. Widespread 90s are expected across interior parts of the region and the immediate Bay Area will see 80s to 90s, Gass said. The lower elevations are only expected to see light winds.

PG&E officials said the anticipated peak fire risk for Monday will start around 8 p.m. and last until 9 a.m. Tuesday. Power could remain off several days.

A final decision on whether a shutdown will occur will be announced late Monday morning, officials said. The shutdown, if it happens, will start either in the late afternoon or evening hours Monday.

More information, including whether an address is affected by the possible shutdown, can be found at Pge.com.

—By Peter Fournier, Bay City News Service