SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY – Southern California Edison (SCE) is considering a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) for over 63,000 San Bernardino County customers, as of November 4.
SCE says the temporary power shut off to neighborhoods during dangerous weather conditions is to prevent their electric system from becoming a source of ignition.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag – fire weather, warning for portions of the San Bernardino County Mountains and Inland Empire that will remain in effect until 6 p.m. tonight.
A red flag warning is also in effect for early Wednesday into Thursday evening for portions of the San Bernardino Mountains, the Inland Empire, Santa Ana Mountains, and Inland Orange County for strong gusty winds and low relative humidity for the San Bernardino Mountains and Inland Empire.
SCE says they consider PSPS when strong winds, very dry plants and grass and low humidity are forecast.
“We intend to notify affected customers approximately two days in advance of a potential power shutoff,” says a statement on the SCE website.
Install surge protectors to safeguard electronics
SCE says each of California’s investor-owned utilities determines when a PSPS is called and how it will be implemented.
They said they base PSPS decisions on data gathered from fire scientists and meteorologists forecasting dangerous wildfire conditions, and on real-time information from their crews in the field.
“A PSPS event will last as long as the dangerous fire weather conditions persist. When weather improves, we will inspect our lines for damage before restoring power. This typically takes up to eight hours but could take longer if we need daylight for safe inspections,” said a statement on the SCE website.
SCE recommends that in the case of a PSPS to keep important phone numbers near the home’s main phone.
In addition, install surge protectors to safeguard valuable electronics like computers and home entertainment systems. When power is restored after an outage, there can be a significant voltage spike, which can damage sensitive electronics.
SCE customers can view the Outage Map to check the status of power outages in their area by visiting https://www.sce.com/outage-center/check-outage-status
For more information about PSPS visit https://www.sce.com/outage-center/outage-information/psps
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