Wildfire safety

It is important that we have your current contact information so you can be notified when a potential PSPS could impact your home or business. Visit the PSPS alerts page or call 1-866-743-6589 to update your contact information.

Even if you do not have a PG&E account, you can sign up to receive alerts about a potential PSPS at any address that is important to you or a loved one. These alerts are available in multiple languages by call or text.

PG&E conducts online webinars for anyone interested in learning more about our Community Wildfire Safety Program. These virtual gatherings allow community members to learn more about wildfire safety and emergency preparedness, meet with PG&E representatives, ask questions and share feedback. View the webinar schedule and previous webinar presentations.

Learn more about what to expect, how to prepare and the support services that are available before, during and after a PSPS. Learn about PSPS.

We know that losing power disrupts lives. That is why PSPS is only used as a tool of last resort. We encourage you to prepare for outages that could last several days. Prepare for a PSPS .

Given the continued and growing threat of wildfire, PG&E is evolving its wildfire prevention efforts for the safety of our customers and communities. This includes new, advanced safety settings that allow our powerlines to automatically turn off power within one-tenth of a second when there is a hazard, like a tree branch falling into a line. These settings are known as Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS).

This enhanced safety measure will typically be used during the summer and fall months when there is an increased wildfire risk. These settings will also be enabled when dry, hot and non-windy conditions are present.

While the more sensitive settings help prevent wildfires, they can also result in power outages. We understand how disruptive it is for customers to lose power. That is why we are working hard to support our customers and communities and reduce the impact of outages by:

• Notifying customers when an outage has occurred and when they can expect power to be restored.
• Leveraging ground and air patrols for quicker restoration times.
• Treating all outages in High Fire-Threat Districts as an emergency response.
• Further optimizing device sensitivity and other related settings to minimize the size and duration of outages.
• Improving information available to customers experiencing outages related to these enhancements.

NOTE: If a powerline is on your property, we may need access to restore power. Please allow our technicians access to patrol. The sooner they can patrol, the sooner power will be restored.

Outages that result from the enhanced safety settings are not Public Safety Power Shutoffs and they are not planned. It is not possible to provide customers or communities with advance notice because our equipment is reacting to a potential safety issue. This is why it is important to be prepared for a potential power outage, as they could happen at any time and for an unknown duration. For emergency preparedness tips and sample emergency plans, visit the Safety Action Center.

PG&E's Medical Baseline Program is an assistance program for residential customers who need energy for certain medical needs. The program includes additional energy at a lower rate and extra notifications, including phone calls or doorbell rings before a PSPS. Apply for the Medical Baseline Program online or by calling 1-800-743-5000.

Self-certify for Vulnerable Customer Status if you or someone in your household has a serious illness or condition that could be life threatening if electric or gas service is disconnected. Those who self-identify for Vulnerable Customer Status will receive an in-person visit before power is disconnected, whether PSPS or nonpayment. To apply, visit pge.com/vcstatus.

We encourage all customers to plan for an emergency and to be prepared for any extended outages due to extreme weather or natural disasters. To help you plan, PG&E provides information about backup power solutions, how to purchase them and how to operate them safely. Learn more about backup power.

California, Oregon and Washington, along with several other western states, continue to experience an increase in wildfire risk and a longer wildfire season. Find out everything we are doing to evolve our Community Wildfire Safety Program to strengthen and improve our electric system for the safety of our customers and communities. Learn more about the Community Wildfire Safety Program. 

Learn about consumer protections including financial support and how to begin the rebuilding process at Wildfire Recovery Support.