Most power restored after PG&E's first wildfire shutoffs of summer season

Most see power restored after PG&E's wildfire shutoffs

PG&E restored electricity to most customers in the Bay Area by Saturday morning, following the first planned power shutoffs of the summer wildfire season.

CONCORD, Calif. - PG&E restored electricity to most customers in the Bay Area by Saturday morning, following the first planned power shutoffs of the summer wildfire season.

The precautionary outages, which began a few days ago, were timed to coincide with high fire risk conditions, including gusty winds and low humidity that had fire officials on alert across Northern California.

PG&E crews conducted aerial and ground patrols once weather conditions improved to inspect power lines for potential hazards, such as branches or debris, before restoring service.

"We did have helicopters flying in the East Bay today and Alameda County," said PG&E spokesperson Jeff Smith. "That's essentially how we were able to get these customers restored. Once the weather conditions pass, then the next step is we patrol those lines."

The power shutoffs have become a recurring part of fire season in the Bay Area.

At Ace Hardware in Concord, employees said the store is well-stocked with emergency supplies like generators, flashlights, and batteries.

"It’s the kind of thing where people have a tendency to react rather than prepare," said assistant manager Tom Meyer. "The more places get burned up, people start to take more notice, and then, rightfully so, there are more measures, and then outfits like PG&E, aware of their accountability, are probably proactive about informing people."

Residents prepare for more fire season disruptions

Residents shared varying levels of preparedness for outages and wildfires.

"I’m not as prepared as I’d always like to be," said Tom Trowbridge of Discovery Bay. "We don’t have a generator. We have ice chests and basically some food storage, but that’s about it. Basically, we have a defensible space around our house, we have hard scape around it, and the bushes and shrubbery are farther away."

In Concord, Joe Domingoes said his family has taken steps to fire-harden their home.

"We have roofing that’s fire-resistant, no scrubs that’s close to the house," he said. "It can happen anywhere, and you need to be prepared, and we’ve done what we can."

PG&E said investments in artificial intelligence and advanced weather modeling have helped them reduce the number of customers affected by shutoffs compared to prior years.

"Through the use of artificial intelligence and other technology that has kind of been perfected over the last couple of years, we’re able to do really defined models that allow us to identify precisely where we need to de-energize customers," Smith said. "And that allows more customers to be able to keep their power on."

PG&E expects power to be fully restored to all customers in the Bay Area impacted by the shutoffs by Sunday evening.