Aerial, Vehicle and On-The-Ground Inspections, Patrols and Restoration Work Has Begun for the Majority of Impacted Areas with Restoration Expected for Most by Monday Night; PG&E Supporting First Responders Battling Wildfires; About 37,000 Customers Without Power Due to Glass, Zogg and Other Wildfire
September 29, 2020 - SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Pacific Gas and Electric Company has begun patrols to inspect lines de-energized by the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) that started Sunday morning, Sept. 27, which affected 
about 65,000 customers in 16 counties. This follows the end of a severe weather pattern that included strong, dry winds coupled with elevated temperatures in portions of the Northern and Central Sierra region. Wind in de-energized areas due to PSPS were observed to include:
| Weather Station (county) | Event WS Max (mph) |
|---|---|
| Mt. St. Helena West (Sonoma) | 61 mph sustained, 73 mph gusts |
| Jarbo Gap (Butte) | 44 mph sustained, 72 gusts |
| Mt. Diablo. (Contra Costa) | 52 mph sustained, 66 mph gusts |
This morning, PG&E meteorologists in our Emergency Operations Center issued a weather all-clear for most—but not all—areas impacted by the PSPS. Crews have begun inspecting nearly 3,915 miles of transmission and distribution lines for damage or hazards. This patrol and inspection effort will include nearly 1,700 ground personnel and 50 helicopters.
About 37,000 customers are out of power due to wildfires that started overnight, including the Glass, Zogg and others. Power was turned off in partnership with CAL FIRE and for the safety of firefighters in active fire areas or due to damage caused from wildfire related impacts to equipment.
PSPS Restoration
Crews will inspect lines for damage or hazards caused by strong winds and other factors. Once the lines have been inspected and any needed repairs are made, PG&E will proceed to restore power.
PG&E expects to restore power to the large majority of customers impacted by this PSPS event by 11:59 p.m. Monday evening. Restoration may be delayed for some customers if crews are required to fix significant damage to individual lines, which could be caused by wind-blown branches and other debris.
After severe weather has passed, PG&E inspects the electric system for wind and debris-caused damage to make sure it is safe to turn the power back on. The process PG&E follows includes:
- Inspect – PG&E crews work to visually inspect for potential weather-related damage to the lines, poles and towers. This is done by foot, vehicle and air.
- Repair – Where equipment damage is found, PG&E crews work to isolate the damaged area from the rest of the system so other parts of the system can be restored.
- Restore – Once the poles, towers and lines are safe to energize, PG&E's Control Center can complete the process and restore power to affected areas.
- Notify Customers – Customers are notified that power has been restored.
For more information on the PSPS event, visit pge.com/pspsupdates.
Customer Support
As of this morning, PG&E has opened 26 outdoor, open-air Community Resource Centers (CRCs) in 11 counties to support customers when power is out at their homes and will provide ADA-accessible restrooms, hand-washing stations; medical-equipment charging; Wi-Fi; bottled water; grab-and-go bags and non-perishable snacks. PG&E updates its CRC locations regularly, click here for updates.
All CRCs will follow important health and safety protocols including:
- Facial coverings and maintaining a physical distance of at least six feet from those who are not part of the same household will be required at all CRCs.
- Temperature checks will be administered before entering CRCs that are located indoors.
- CRC staff will be trained in COVID-19 precautions and will regularly sanitize surfaces and use Plexiglass barriers at check-in.
- All CRCs will follow county and state requirements regarding COVID-19, including limits on the number of customers permitted indoors at any time.
- Out of precaution due to the wildfires, CRCs in Calistoga, Angwin, Magalia and Paradise have been closed.
Wildfires
The start of several wildfires yesterday and overnight has introduced new challenges for this PSPS event, and they are directly affecting many of our customers. Here’s a quick update on what we know:
- The Glass Fire along with the Shady and Boyson Fires in Napa County have burned over 11,000 acres as of this morning. These three fires are now referred to collectively as the Glass Fire.
- PG&E has not filed an Electric Incident Report and have no information indicating the Glass Fire ignition is attributable to our facilities.
- Additionally, as of this morning, the developing Zogg Fire in Shasta County has burned over 7,000 acres, burning rapidly southwest of Redding. We continue to closely monitor this fire and work closely with first responders. We have not filed an Electric Incident Report and have no information indicating the Zogg Fire ignition is attributable to our facilities.
- In total, approximately 37,000 customers are experiencing outages related to fires and not the PSPS event.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 23,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.
Source: PG&E
