Power could be cut in Northern California Tuesday to reduce risk of wildfires
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.
Northern California's Dixie Fire, which started July 13 and is now the second-largest wildfire in state history, may have been started by a tree falling onto a PG&E power line, company officials said. The Fly Fire, a blaze that was sparked 30 miles away on July 22, may also have been ignited by PG&E equipment, and investigations are underway.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
As of Monday morning, the Dixie Fire has burned 569,707 acres, including 50,000 since Friday. The blaze has swept through forests and remote areas, destroying more than 1,173 structures and more than $1 billion worth of timber and leveling the town of Greenville. Officials said the fire is threatening 14,800 additional structures.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
4 ways to give back this holiday season
The Explainer If your budget is feeling squeezed, remember that money is not the only way you can be generous around the holidays
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
4 tips for hosting an ecofriendly Thanksgiving
The Week Recommends Coming together for the holidays typically produces a ton of waste, but with proper preparation, you can have an environmentally friendly gathering.
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden visits Amazon, says climate legacy irreversible
Speed Read Nobody can reverse America's 'clean energy revolution,' said the president, despite the incoming Trump administration's promises to dismantle climate policies
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
At least 95 dead in Spain flash floods
Speed Read Torrential rainfall caused the country's worst flooding since 1996
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Cuba roiled by island-wide blackouts, Hurricane Oscar
Speed Read The country's power grid collapsed for the fourth time in just two days
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Wildlife populations drop a 'catastrophic' 73%
Speed Read The decline occurred between 1970 and 2020
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Floridians flee oncoming Hurricane Milton
Speed Read The hurricane is expected to cause widespread damage in the state
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Unchecked wildfire sears Southern California
Speed Read Firefighting crews continue to battle wildfires that have scorched thousands of acres in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties amid heat wave
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The economic cost of the wildfire season
The Explainer Wildfires are exacting an 'eye-popping' financial toll for communities in fire-prone areas and beyond
By Abby Wilson Published
-
Firefighters battle enormous California wildfire
Speed Read The Park Fire in Northern California was larger than the city of Los Angeles
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published