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california fires

Updates on PG&E Power Outages | Why You Need a Generator

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) provides natural gas and electricity to over 16 million people in Central and Northern California. Their service area stretches from Eureka in Northern California, inland to the Sierra Nevadas, all the way to Bakersfield in Central California. Based in San Francisco, they run 106,681 circuit miles of electric distribution lines and 18,466 circuit miles of interconnected transmission lines across California.

High winds, dry conditions, and live electric power lines cause extreme wildfire risk which is why PG&E has recently deemed it necessary to shut off power for public safety. Called Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), PG&E power outages will potentially affect more than five million customers and could last several days. The reason for the power outages in certain areas depends on a variety of factors including:

  • A Red Flag Warning declared by the National Weather Service
  • Low humidity levels
  • Forecasted winds, especially above 25 mph
  • Location conditions
  • On-the-ground, real-time observations from PG&E’s Wildfire Safety Operations Center and field crews

Current areas affected include:

  • The Bay Area (including the North Bay and East Bay)
    • Vallejo
    • San Mateo
    • Alameda
    • Oakland
  • Solano County
  • Contra Costa County
  • Sonoma County
  • Santa Rosa
  • Napa
  • Marin
  • Mendocino and most of Northern California
  • Santa Cruz
  • Santa Clara
  • Sacramento and surrounding areas in Yolo County
  • Sierra Nevada Foothills/Eastern Sierras

PG&E estimates that power could be shut off for its customers multiple times a year when fire risks are high. This will likely be ongoing for the next decade as PG&E updates their equipment across California.

PG&E will alert customers when their power will be shut off through their contact information, therefore, they suggest customers update their phone numbers and emails. They also suggest homeowners invest in a generator, especially if the home or business owner needs power for medical purposes. There are obviously many reasons for a home or business owner to still require power in the event of an outage including:

  • Hot water
  • Refrigeration
  • Heat
  • Light
  • Cooking

PG&E is keeping customers updated with a power outage map that can be found here. Furthermore, they are posting alerts in realtime here and on their Twitter account signifying where the next PG&E power shutoffs will be.

 

Ember Defense | Generac Generators

Ember Defense wants to help protect your home before fires even happen. It is important to have all the defenses and systems in place before it’s too late including installing Vulcan Vents on all your outside-facing vents, placing Valor Gutter Guards on your gutters to deter debris buildup, and adding external fire sprinklers to your roof.

Furthermore, checking your home insurance policy and coverage before you actually need to is smart, and we can help you there as well.

If you live in Northern California it is a good idea to have a generator as a backup, especially in the face of PG&E power outages. That is why Ember Defense has become a licensed dealer for Generac Generators. We want our customers to be prepared. Fire dangers are real and we live in a region where we must be ready, self-sufficient to an extent, and resilient.

Generac Generators range from small portable generators that can help keep just the essentials running to large industrial-sized generators that will ensure you have power to run your entire home or business.

Give Ember Defense a call and we can get you set up with the right generator for you so you’ll never be in the dark even when the rest of Northern California is.