Hot weather and winds raise California wildfire threat as power shutoffs start

Tens of thousands of people in California were without electricity Thursday as utilities tried to reduce the risks of hot, windy weather that could blow over power lines and spark wildfires.

In Northern California, nearly 62,000 customers in 26 counties in the Sierra Nevada foothills, wine country and the central coast had no electricity, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, which began proactively turning off power Wednesday night. An additional 19,000 customers in Los Angeles, Kern and Ventura counties lost power Thursday, Southern California Edison said. Weather conditions that increase the fire risk were expected to last through Saturday.

Some of California’s worst wildfires have been sparked by power equipment, and utilities in recent years have begun proactively shutting off power during dry, windy weather in an effort to prevent blazes.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who faced criticism for her city's response to deadly fires in 2025, said she's directed the fire department to deploy personnel and equipment ahead of the winds. The fire department has also requested assistance from the state’s office of emergency services, she said.

“It’s a pretty widespread event of elevated fire weather, so the whole SoCal region should really be on alert,” said…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business