PG&E restores electrical service to areas of rural Solano County
The blackout was triggered during a public safety power shutoff event on Wednesday.
(Graphic by Solano News Update)
The Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) announced Friday evening that it had restored power to more than 50,000 customers throughout Northern California following a wildfire-prevention power shutoff earlier this week.
The planned safety power shutoff (PSPS) event started Wednesday evening during Red Flag weather conditions in which forecasters predicted a combination of gusty wind, low humidity and seasonably-warm temperatures would lead to the rapid start and spread of new wildfires.
For more than a year, PG&E has triggered planned power blackouts in an effort to curb the start of wildfires after its equipment was blamed for the start of several destructive and deadly fires in Northern California.
Shortly after forecasters issued a Red Flag Warning, PG&E said on Tuesday it would cut electrical power to more than 50,000 customers throughout Northern California, including around 870 customers in rural Solano County. Affected customers were primarily located along the Napa-Solano county line west of Fairfield and Suisun City.
Power was turned off to these customers Wednesday evening and restored around Friday afternoon, the utility said.
Another 200 customers were without power on Thursday after a grass fire in Fairfield burned a PG&E utility pole. Power was restored to those customers early Friday evening. The cause of the grass fire is still under investigation.
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