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| California wildfire rages as PG&E warns more power outages may occur | California wildfire rages as PG&E warns more power outages may occur |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A wildfire in northern California exploded in size on Thursday after dangerously dry, windy weather prompted the state’s largest utility to impose electrical blackouts in an effort to prevent a catastrophe. | |
| The Kincade fire in the Sonoma county wine region north of San Francisco grew to more than 15 sq miles (39 sq km) before dawn. Authorities ordered evacuations for nearly 2,000 people in and near Geyserville, a small town and popular stop for wine country tourists about 23 miles (37km) north of Santa Rosa, where the Tubbs fire left 22 people dead in October 2017. | The Kincade fire in the Sonoma county wine region north of San Francisco grew to more than 15 sq miles (39 sq km) before dawn. Authorities ordered evacuations for nearly 2,000 people in and near Geyserville, a small town and popular stop for wine country tourists about 23 miles (37km) north of Santa Rosa, where the Tubbs fire left 22 people dead in October 2017. |
| Fire officials said multiple structures had been destroyed, but could not yet confirm how many. | Fire officials said multiple structures had been destroyed, but could not yet confirm how many. |
| Images and videos shared on social media, including by the California governor, Gavin Newsom, showed thick smoke and fast-moving wildfire. | Images and videos shared on social media, including by the California governor, Gavin Newsom, showed thick smoke and fast-moving wildfire. |
| A large smoke cloud rose above Napa Valley, marring a clear blue sky. Strong winds whipped through tree branches and yellowing grape vines, bringing respite from the high temperatures and relentless sun. | |
| Thank you to all the firefighters & first responders who are on the scene, working to contain the #KincadeFire.The images coming out of the area are devastating. Evacuations are underway now. If in the area, please follow directions of local authorities. pic.twitter.com/3T3roGoyQy | Thank you to all the firefighters & first responders who are on the scene, working to contain the #KincadeFire.The images coming out of the area are devastating. Evacuations are underway now. If in the area, please follow directions of local authorities. pic.twitter.com/3T3roGoyQy |
| Power generators hummed along main roads as residents carried on under the ever-looming threat of high-fire warnings and continued power shutoffs. | |
| The fire brought back memories of the devastating Wine Country fires that killed 44 in the area two years ago. Sonoma county sheriff Mark Essick said many people felt better prepared Thursday than they were two years ago, but that doesn’t mean they should wait to leave. | |
| There was no immediate information about what ignited the blaze, but wildfire risk was extremely high as humidity levels plunged and gusty winds up to 70mph hit the region. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), the utility company currently staging rolling blackouts across the northern half of the state, had not shut down all of its power lines in the part of Sonoma county where the fire ignited. | |
| A second San Francisco Bay area fire reportedly broke out in the coastal Marin headlands, burning through at least 40 acres and closing a section of the famous Highway 1. | |
| In southern California, hot and dry winds, known as the Santa Ana winds, were expected to hit later on Thursday, increasing the wildfire risk there. At least two smaller fires have already erupted in the region, including one in San Bernardino. | |
| ‘An atmospheric hairdryer’ | ‘An atmospheric hairdryer’ |
| Climate scientists warned for several days that this was just the beginning of a week of fire weather across the state, with the greatest risk still to come. | Climate scientists warned for several days that this was just the beginning of a week of fire weather across the state, with the greatest risk still to come. |
| California power shutoffs: when your public utility is owned by private investors | California power shutoffs: when your public utility is owned by private investors |
| Temperatures in towns near the Kincade fire were expected to reach 94F (34C), with humidity around a bone-dry 10%. NBC meteorologist Rob Mayeda called the high pressure event of extra fast wind and low humidity an “atmospheric hairdryer”. | Temperatures in towns near the Kincade fire were expected to reach 94F (34C), with humidity around a bone-dry 10%. NBC meteorologist Rob Mayeda called the high pressure event of extra fast wind and low humidity an “atmospheric hairdryer”. |
| So you've heard the term "atmospheric river" for high precipitable water values...you might call this an "atmospheric hair dryer" with strong high pressure & associated offshore wind event sending desert-like dry air out over the ocean (2/2) #CAwx pic.twitter.com/zrUoxYlLXJ | So you've heard the term "atmospheric river" for high precipitable water values...you might call this an "atmospheric hair dryer" with strong high pressure & associated offshore wind event sending desert-like dry air out over the ocean (2/2) #CAwx pic.twitter.com/zrUoxYlLXJ |
| A National Weather Service forecast for the San Francisco Bay area on Tuesday cautioned: “Should we be lucky enough to get through tomorrow’s wind event, we would ask for continued vigilance heading into the weekend.” | A National Weather Service forecast for the San Francisco Bay area on Tuesday cautioned: “Should we be lucky enough to get through tomorrow’s wind event, we would ask for continued vigilance heading into the weekend.” |
| High winds reaching 70-80mph are expected in the north bay region from Saturday evening through Sunday evening, if not longer. “There will obviously be fire weather concerns again,” warned the NWS. These conditions could mirror those in October 2017, when 21 major fires together burned roughly 245,000 acres (almost 100,000 hectares) and killed 44 people. | High winds reaching 70-80mph are expected in the north bay region from Saturday evening through Sunday evening, if not longer. “There will obviously be fire weather concerns again,” warned the NWS. These conditions could mirror those in October 2017, when 21 major fires together burned roughly 245,000 acres (almost 100,000 hectares) and killed 44 people. |
| Fire behavior on the #KincadeFire is extreme in the Geysers region of #SonomaCounty Thursday morning. @NorthBayNews @CAL_FIRE @NWSBayArea #CAwx pic.twitter.com/uADBYh1cEQ | Fire behavior on the #KincadeFire is extreme in the Geysers region of #SonomaCounty Thursday morning. @NorthBayNews @CAL_FIRE @NWSBayArea #CAwx pic.twitter.com/uADBYh1cEQ |
| Rolling blackouts | Rolling blackouts |
| PG&E on Wednesday began rolling blackouts stretching from the Sierra foothills in the north-east to portions of the San Francisco Bay area in a bid to keep the electrical grid from causing fires due to wind that can send power lines toppling. | |
| The blackouts, which are expected to last about 48 hours, affected a half-million people or nearly 180,000 customers in 17 counties. PG&E warned that a second round of outages could occur over the weekend when even stronger winds are expected in the region. | |
| “This could be the strongest wind event of the season, unfortunately,” said Scott Strenfel, a PG&E meteorologist. | “This could be the strongest wind event of the season, unfortunately,” said Scott Strenfel, a PG&E meteorologist. |
| Strenfel called the current wind event a “California-wide phenomenon”. | Strenfel called the current wind event a “California-wide phenomenon”. |
| The PSPS chart for @PGE4Me service territory indicates that a much larger event is in the cards for this weekend, consistent with forecasting (@RobMayeda @Weather_West). I wonder whether @PGE4Me will have the time to turn the power back on before they have to turn it off again. pic.twitter.com/La7WReBODX | The PSPS chart for @PGE4Me service territory indicates that a much larger event is in the cards for this weekend, consistent with forecasting (@RobMayeda @Weather_West). I wonder whether @PGE4Me will have the time to turn the power back on before they have to turn it off again. pic.twitter.com/La7WReBODX |
| Southern California Edison, the utility to the south, said Thursday that it had cut power to more than 15,000 customers as hot and dry seasonal Santa Ana winds swept parts of southern California. The utility was considering additional power cuts to more than 286,000 customers. | Southern California Edison, the utility to the south, said Thursday that it had cut power to more than 15,000 customers as hot and dry seasonal Santa Ana winds swept parts of southern California. The utility was considering additional power cuts to more than 286,000 customers. |
| The San Diego Gas & Electric utility said it cut power to about 328 customers. | The San Diego Gas & Electric utility said it cut power to about 328 customers. |
| The move came as firefighters sought to contain a 75-acre fire near the San Bernardino National forest in southern California. | |
| The utilities have said the precautionary blackouts across the state are designed to keep winds from knocking branches into power lines or toppling them, sparking wildfires. | The utilities have said the precautionary blackouts across the state are designed to keep winds from knocking branches into power lines or toppling them, sparking wildfires. |
| Electrical equipment was blamed for setting several fires in recent years that killed scores of people and burned thousands of homes. | Electrical equipment was blamed for setting several fires in recent years that killed scores of people and burned thousands of homes. |
| The latest outage comes two weeks after PG&E shut down the power for several days to about 2 million people in northern and central California. | The latest outage comes two weeks after PG&E shut down the power for several days to about 2 million people in northern and central California. |
| Governor Newsom on Thursday once again lambasted PG&E for its management of the crisis. “It’s more than just climate change,” Newsom said at a Thursday press conference in southern California. “As it relates to PG&E, it’s about corporate greed meeting climate change. It’s about decades of mismanagement. It’s about focusing on shareholders and dividends over you and members of the public.” | Governor Newsom on Thursday once again lambasted PG&E for its management of the crisis. “It’s more than just climate change,” Newsom said at a Thursday press conference in southern California. “As it relates to PG&E, it’s about corporate greed meeting climate change. It’s about decades of mismanagement. It’s about focusing on shareholders and dividends over you and members of the public.” |
| The Sonoma county supervisor James Gore said PG&E was better this time about getting information to people who would be affected, but he was still astonished by the need to resort to large-scale blackouts. | The Sonoma county supervisor James Gore said PG&E was better this time about getting information to people who would be affected, but he was still astonished by the need to resort to large-scale blackouts. |
| “I am a big believer in shutdowns to prevent fires. But the thing that erodes public trust is when it doesn’t make sense,” he said. “You say: ‘God, I know if we can put a man on the moon ... we can manage a [power] grid.’” | “I am a big believer in shutdowns to prevent fires. But the thing that erodes public trust is when it doesn’t make sense,” he said. “You say: ‘God, I know if we can put a man on the moon ... we can manage a [power] grid.’” |
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