California’s largest utility is warning that it may have to cut power supplies to reduce the risk of more wildfires in the state, just as smoke drifting down from blazes burning in Northern California and Oregon will bring unhealthy air to the San Francisco Bay Area this week.
(Bloomberg) — California’s largest utility is warning that it may have to cut power supplies to reduce the risk of more wildfires in the state, just as smoke drifting down from blazes burning in Northern California and Oregon will bring unhealthy air to the San Francisco Bay Area this week.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued an air quality advisory through Wednesday, telling residents to stay indoors to reduce exposure to the smoke-choked skies. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service issued a fire weather watch for large portions of the interior of Northern California because of gusty winds and dry conditions.
PG&E said that it may have to cut power to about 4,200 homes and businesses located in the fire watch area in order to reduce the risk of their power lines sparking a blaze. The utility has been preemptively cutting power during times when high winds can knock over its power lines after its equipment was blamed for causing a some of the worst wildfires in California history.
Read More: Smashed Homes, Flooded Farms: California Storms to Cost Billions
There are currently 25 fires burning across the West, with 12 in Oregon, seven in Washington and six in California, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Still, fire risks in the US West have decreased this year. Last winter’s heavy rain and snow across the region have been credited with keeping blazes at bay. Since January, 43,085 fires have charred nearly 2.3 million acres across the US. In 2022, 51,166 fires had occurred through Sept. 19, burning 6.8 million acres, while the 10-year average is 44,286 fires consuming just more than 6 million acres.
–With assistance from Brian K. Sullivan.
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