Southern California Edison Has Announced Possible Public Safety Power Shutoffs
Southern California Edison (SCE) and other energy companies in California have announced the possibility of preventative power shutoffs in areas where there are elevated wildfire risks.
Much of the Conejo Valley and greater Ventura County are considered to be of extreme risk, according to a the California Public Utilities Commission. A map showing high fire threat areas is at https://ia.cpuc.ca.gov/firemap/.
This is how Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) works, according to SCE:
When elevated fire conditions (e.g. strong winds) present a clear danger, SCE may shut off power temporarily on specific power lines for public safety.
SCE intends to notify customers of potential shutoffs 2 days in advance via email, text or phone call. They may also send another notice to customers a day in advance.
SCE will also notify local governments, the emergency management community and first responders.
SCE will update customers regularly via its website and social media.
SCE can sign up for alerts at www.sce.com/outagealerts.
Additional information and updates will be posted at www.vcemergency.com.
Additional safety tips during an outage from SCE:
Disconnect all sensitive electronics to prevent damage or loss of data.
If you use a portable gas generator, use it outdoors only.
Don’t connect a generator to your home’s circuit breaker panel.
Consider obtaining extra fuel for your generator for extended outages and keep the fuel in approved containers in a safe location away from ignition sources.