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Police order evacuations as fast-moving wildfire spreads near San Francisco California: more than 1.5 million without power amid shut-off to avoid wildfires
(about 3 hours later)
Police ordered evacuations early on Thursday as a fast-moving wildfire spread in the hills of a San Francisco Bay Area community. More than 1.5 million people in northern California were in the dark Thursday, most for a second day, after the state’s biggest utility shut off electricity to many areas to prevent its equipment from sparking wildfires as strong winds sweep through.
The flames surged despite the area being part of a large parcel of northern California where more than 1.5 million people have had their power deliberately cut off to try to prevent the kind of blazes that have devastated parts of the state in recent years. Unprecedented in scope, the deliberate outages by Pacific Gas & Electric forced schools and businesses to close and otherwise disrupted life for many people, bringing criticism down on the company from the governor and ordinary customers alike
The wildfire broke out amid dry weather and strong winds sweeping through the region. On Wednesday, PG&E cut power to an estimated 600,000 customers in the San Francisco Bay Area – where wind gusts reached 70 mph (110 kph) early Thursday – as well as wine country north of San Francisco, which was hit hard by wildfires in 2017 and the region north of Sacramento, which was devastated by the 2018 Camp fire. Power was also cut in the agricultural Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada foothills – where a November 2018 wildfire, blamed on PG&E transmission lines, killed 85 people and virtually incinerated the town of Paradise. The city of San Francisco itself was not in the shut-off zone.
PG&E warned that customers might have to do without power for days after the winds subside because “every inch” of the system must be inspected by helicopters and thousands of workers on the ground, and declared safe before the grid is reactivated.
Also on Thursday, police ordered evacuations as a fast-moving wildfire spread in the hills of a San Francisco Bay Area community.
Firefighters in the Moraga-Orinda area responded to the scene near the St Mary’s College campus. The school did not immediately appear threatened but 100 homes were initially evacuated, before the order was lifted for about 50 of the homes some hours later.Firefighters in the Moraga-Orinda area responded to the scene near the St Mary’s College campus. The school did not immediately appear threatened but 100 homes were initially evacuated, before the order was lifted for about 50 of the homes some hours later.
The California department of forestry and fire protection (Cal Fire) said the flames had consumed about 60 acres in little more than two hours.The California department of forestry and fire protection (Cal Fire) said the flames had consumed about 60 acres in little more than two hours.
Moraga police ordered evacuations in the town’s Sanders Ranch neighborhood. Residents were told to take only essential items.
The community is in Contra Costa county, part of ongoing pre-emptive electricity shutdowns by Pacific Gas and Electric, the US’s largest utility company.
Before the fire even broke out, much of northern California was facing life without electricity or gas for as many as five to seven days, after the utility cut power to an unprecedented swath of the state as a preventive measure against wildfires.
More than 1.5 million people were in the dark early on Thursday, most for a second day and the power shutoffs by PG&E may affect up to 2.5 million people by the end of the week. The first wave of shutoffs began on Wednesday to portions of 20 of the state’s 58 counties.
Santa Clara county, the home of Silicon Valley, declared a local emergency on Wednesday afternoon in hopes of spurring California to declare a state of emergency.
Swaths of wine country north of San Francisco, hit hard by wildfires in 2017, was without power for most of Wednesday, along with the region north of Sacramento devastated by the 2018 Camp fire.
The power shutoff zone includes the Sierra Nevada foothills, where a November 2018 wildfire, blamed on PG&E transmission lines, killed 85 people and virtually incinerated the town of Paradise.
And it stretches along the coast into the far north of the state.
The University of California, Berkeley, canceled classes on Thursday for the second day because it had no electricity.The University of California, Berkeley, canceled classes on Thursday for the second day because it had no electricity.
PG&E has a 70,000 square-mile service area, and serves more than a third of the state. The utility declared bankruptcy in January, in part because of potential liabilities from its role in some of the 2017 fires and the Camp fire.PG&E has a 70,000 square-mile service area, and serves more than a third of the state. The utility declared bankruptcy in January, in part because of potential liabilities from its role in some of the 2017 fires and the Camp fire.
PG&E began practicing preventive shutoffs this year during red flag fire weather conditions – high winds and low humidity – after investigators found it at fault in two of the deadliest wildfires in California’s history, both within the past two years.PG&E began practicing preventive shutoffs this year during red flag fire weather conditions – high winds and low humidity – after investigators found it at fault in two of the deadliest wildfires in California’s history, both within the past two years.
Some of the wildfires started because of trees falling on power lines – trees that should have been cleared by PG&E because of their proximity to the lines. In the 2018 Camp fire, which killed 85, the utility’s outdated infrastructure was implicated. Some of the wildfires started because of trees falling on power lines – trees that should have been cleared by PG&E because of their proximity to the lines. In the 2018 Camp fire, the utility’s outdated infrastructure was implicated.
Amid warm temperatures and strong winds, major shutoffs are expected to become a staple in a state gripped by the climate crisis.Amid warm temperatures and strong winds, major shutoffs are expected to become a staple in a state gripped by the climate crisis.
San FranciscoSan Francisco
US policingUS policing
CaliforniaCalifornia
WildfiresWildfires
Natural disasters and extreme weatherNatural disasters and extreme weather
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