With gusty winds in the forecast, PG&E is warning of possible power shutdowns in eastern San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County later this week.
The potential shut-offs in mostly remote areas are to prevent wildfires in response to increased fire risk. They could start Friday morning and last until Saturday afternoon.
Homes and businesses near Santa Margarita Lake and the Salinas River may be affected. In Santa Barbara County, Santa Maria and the Carrizo Plain National monument could see shutoffs.
Rose Schoenfeld, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said this week’s fire weather conditions are driven by winds and vegetation that can quickly ignite and spread.
“We have dry fuels right now because we haven't had rain for a long time, and then with this event we're going to see some strong, gusty winds and additionally some low relative humidities, which is correlated with heat,” Schoenfeld said.
PG&E said customers should prepare for disruptions in electricity, communications, water and transportation. Residents are advised to use generators outdoors to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning and to keep devices charged to help stay connected during an outage.
