Wildfire risk leads to widespread SCE public safety power shutoffs
As a regional Red Flag warning remains in effect through Saturday evening, Southern California Edison has shut off power to thousands of customers, primarily in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, as wildfire risks remain high.
The utility said power shutoffs are currently in effect or under consideration due to heightened wildfire risk. In Los Angeles County, 52,953 customers are without power and in Ventura County, 57,120 customers are facing a power shutoff, as of Friday morning.
This comes as the region is facing Santa Ana conditions, with strong winds and high heat. Highs in communities across the valleys and along the coast will be in the mid-80s to mid-90s, leading to a heat advisory.
The public safety power shurtoffs have led Simi Valley to issue a traffic alert, warning the community of impacts to multiple traffic signals.
"If a signal is not working, treat the intersection as a four-way stop. Slow down, watch for pedestrians, and allow extra travel time as additional intersections may be impacted," the city of Simi Valley wrote.
Malibu is especially hard hit with outages as crews battle the 147-acre Bryson Fire, which ignited Thursday afternoon.
An SCE spokesperson said power shutoffs are essential for community safety.
"When shutoffs occur, we want to restore your power as soon as it is safe to do so. This can only be done after the weather event ends, and our crews inspect the lines. Once a circuit is cleared for inspection, restoration typically takes up to 8 hours. There could be delays if there is a need for helicopter or foot patrols or if damage is found. Some circuits can only be safely inspected in daylight and that may lead to additional delays," Diane Castro, SCE spokesperson said in a statement.
