Public Safety Power Shutoff event

No single factor drives a Public Safety Power Shutoff, as each situation is unique. PG&E carefully reviews a combination of many criteria when determining if power should be turned off for safety. These factors generally include, but are not limited to:

• A Red Flag Warning declared by the National Weather Service
• Low humidity levels, generally 20 percent and below
• Forecasted sustained winds generally above 25 mph and wind gusts in excess of approximately 45 mph, depending on location and site-specific conditions such as temperature, terrain and local climate
• Condition of dry fuel on the ground and live vegetation (moisture content)
• On-the-ground, real-time observations from PG&E's Wildfire Safety Operations Center and field crews

Importantly, while we monitor and take into consideration Red Flag Warnings issued from the National Weather Service, the issuance of a Red Flag Warning does not automatically trigger a Public Safety Power Shutoff.

Visit PG&E weather awareness

Why would power be shut off in a community not experiencing high winds?

Predictions of strong winds are one of several criteria that we consider when deciding to initiate a Public Safety Power Shutoff, along with other factors like predictions of very low humidity levels combined with critically dry vegetation and on-the-ground observations.

Although you may not live or work in a high fire-threat area, or an area experiencing high winds, your power may be shut off if your community relies upon a line that runs through an area experiencing gusty winds and dry conditions, combined with a heightened fire risk.

The most likely electric lines to be considered for a public safety power outage will be those that pass through areas that have been designated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) High Fire-Threat District map at elevated (Tier 2) or extreme risk (Tier 3) for wildfire. Customers outside of these areas could have their power shut off, though, if their community relies upon a line that passes through a high fire-threat area. We want all of our customers to be prepared for possible public safety power outages. Please use these tips and tools to find out if you'll be affected:

• Use our PSPS planning tools. When PG&E announces that a PSPS may or will occur, you can find out in advance if your address will be affected by visiting our Potential PSPS outage map.
• Update your contact information. When possible, we send alerts to PG&E customers in advance of and during a PSPS. Learn more below under “How will PG&E provide PSPS updates? Update your contact information now.
• Contact your landlord or property manager. If your landlord or property manager is the PG&E account holder for your address, they will receive notifications on your behalf. We encourage you to contact them to confirm they know how to reach you. Or, sign up to receive PSPS ZIP Code Alerts for non-account holders directly from PG&E.
• Follow your local news and social media. We post PSPS updates on Twitter, Facebook and other social media. Your local news outlet will also report the latest PSPS information.

PG&E remains committed to providing notice to customers in advance of a Public Safety Power Shutoff, when possible. The company's goal, dependent on weather, is to send customer alerts prior to shutting off power. PG&E will do so through automated calls, texts and emails. We will also use pge.com and social media channels, and keep local news and radio outlets informed and updated.

The cadence and frequency of notifications will depend on the forecasted gusty winds and dry conditions, combined with a heightened fire risk, and how quickly those threats change, among other factors.

If your landlord or property manager is the PG&E account holder for your address, they will receive notifications on your behalf. We encourage you to contact them to confirm they know how to reach you. Or, sign up to receive PSPS ZIP Code Alerts for non-account holders directly from PG&E.

Yes. Without exception, all customers in the areas affected have their power shut off. Emergency facilities such as hospitals and fire and police stations typically use generators to remain open.

This Public Safety Power Shutoff could last for several days. If you have special medical needs that require electricity, take these steps:

• Make sure we have your current contact information. PG&E will use this information to alert customers through automated calls, texts and emails, when possible, prior to and during, a Public Safety Power Shutoff. Make sure your contact information is up-to-date. Or, update your contact information by calling 1-866-743-6589 during normal business hours.
• Plan for medical needs like medications that require refrigeration or devices that need power. Download the Pacific ADA Center's Emergency Power Planning Fact Sheet (PDF, 272 KB).
• If you have a generator or other electric backup power, we encourage you to do a safety check and make sure you have enough fuel to last a few days. Visit backup power.
• Keep emergency numbers handy and know of a backup location you can go to, if necessary
• Check with local authorities regarding available resources.
• Call 9-1-1 immediately if you or a family member experiences a medical emergency.

Residential customers: Prepare your home and family for outages.

Business customers: Prepare your business for outages (PDF, 50 KB).

As part of these preparedness efforts, PG&E is asking customers to:

• Update your contact information by signing in to your online account or by calling 1-866-743-6589 during normal business hours. PG&E will use this information to alert you through automated calls, texts, and emails, when possible, prior to, and during, a Public Safety Power Shutoff.
• Contact your landlord or property manager. If your landlord or property manager is the PG&E account holder for your address, they will receive notifications on your behalf. We encourage you to contact them to confirm they know how to reach you. Or, sign up to receive PSPS ZIP Code Alerts for non-account holders directly from PG&E.
• Plan for medical needs like medications that require refrigeration or devices that need power. Download the Pacific ADA Center's Emergency Power Planning Fact Sheet (PDF, 272 KB).
• Identify backup charging methods for phones and keep hard copies of emergency contacts, such as numbers of hospitals, fire departments, police, friends and relatives.
• Build or restock your emergency kit with flashlights, fresh batteries, first aid supplies and cash.
• Keep in mind the needs of the elderly and young children and pets.
• Know how to manually open garage doors.
• Make sure smoke alarms and fire extinguishers are ready.
• Keep emergency food and water on hand.
• Use battery-operated flashlights, and not candles, due to the risk of fire.
• Unplug or turn off all electric appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored.

After the weather has passed and it is safe to do so, our crews will work to visually inspect each mile of the impacted power lines to ensure they are free from damage and safe to energize.

Inspections will take place during daylight hours and, in most cases, we expect to be able to restore power within 24 to 48 hours after extreme weather has passed. However, depending on weather conditions or if any repairs are needed, outages (weather event plus restoration time) could last longer than 48 hours. For planning purposes, we suggest customers prepare for multiple-day outages.

View our outage map to see which areas are impacted during a Public Safety Power Shutoff.