SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

About 70,000 Pacific Gas and Electric Company customers across parts of 29 California counties face possible power shutoffs this week.

PG&E said it planned to activate its Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) protocols from Wednesday through Saturday to reduce the chance of its equipment starting fires.

“This is about 70,000 customers in scope, which is the largest public safety power shutoff event we’ve had since 2021. And this is due to very windy conditions, low humidity, and dry fuel conditions on the ground,” said Paul Moreno. a spokesperson for PG&E.

PG&E cited the elevated fire danger due to dry and gusty conditions, with the strongest winds expected in the Sierra, Southern Central Coast and parts of the North Bay and East Bay.

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WATCHING THE WIND

The north breeze will weaken tonight in the Valley.

But gusty EAST winds will pick up in the Sierra & Foothills early Thursday morning – late Friday. @PGE4Me cites the wind forecast & dry air/fuels as the reason for widespread PSPS outages. @kcranews pic.twitter.com/PXxabz5JlG

— Heather Waldman (@KCRAHeather) October 13, 2026

“We’re still closely tracking exactly where we expect the storm to impact the most,” Moreno said.

The utility said the shutoffs are a last resort designed to keep overhead power lines or equipment damaged by wind from sparking a wildfire.

PG&E said it tries to give customers at least two days notice to help them prepare.

“Customers can do things like obtain dry ice to help keep their food and medicine cold, keep their electronic devices charged, and have generators on hand if needed,” said Moreno.

Earlier, PG&E said this planned outage would affect around 30,000 customers. It provided an update to include the increased number due to extremely dry vegetation and winds.

The outages could also impact 3,920 Medical Baseline customers and five tribal governments.

A sign outside a Pollock Pines fire station shows high fire danger, highlighting the conditions that could lead to the shutoff. Officials say the weather and the need to prevent wildfires are driving the decision.

“At this point, it’s like here we go again, the breeze is blowing,” said Tim Roffe, a Pollock Pines resident.

Roffe added, “We’re a little more prepared up here than maybe other people would, because we do have snow, and we do get power outages for trees down and that kind of thing. But it’s still ridiculous that we have to have these power shutoffs due to weather.”

Bruce Jenkins, another Pollock Pines resident, expressed concern about the impact of the shutoffs.

“They do have to be worried about liability, but it’s going to be really hard for a lot of people,” Jenkins said.

Originally, PG&E said about 3,000 customers who were impacted by an earlier PSPS event last weekend could be affected again. That number rose to 4,000. The company also said about 5,700 customers included in the original planned shutoffs have since been “de-scoped.”

PG&E’s update came around 1:05 p.m. Tuesday. It said the planned outage was about 12 hours away from the time of the update, but that conditions may change.

The El Dorado County Fire Protection District stressed the importance of having a plan in place, whether it involves staying with someone who has a generator or ensuring safe generator use.

“When generators are being used, that they’re used at least 20 feet away from any opening in the house, to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, and not to use any generators within the house or next to the house because of the fire danger that they could pose,” said Jacob Poganski of the El Dorado County Fire Protection District.

PG&E has identified more than 40 community resource centers where customers can charge devices, access snacks, water, and Wi-Fi in the event of a shutoff.

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