Power could be cut in Northern California Tuesday to reduce risk of wildfires

A power line damaged by the Dixie Fire.
(Image credit: Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)

The lights could go out in parts of Northern California, as Pacific Gas & Electric Co. announced on Monday it is considering cutting power Tuesday night over fears high winds may bring down lines.

If the company does turn off the power, it will affect about 39,000 residents in 16 counties, the Los Angeles Times reports. Strong winds are expected to start picking up overnight, and with gusts possibly hitting 35 mph on Tuesday, PG&E said it does not want to risk power lines falling down in dry brush and sparking wildfires.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.