Pacific Gas & Electric announced they may cut power to around 850,000 homes - or 2.5 million people - across 36 counties over the week...
Pacific Gas & Electric announced they may cut power to around 850,000 homes - or 2.5 million people - across 36 counties over the weekend.
PG&E Corporation CEO and President Bill Johnson tried to reassure customers that the company was taking the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of Californians.
'We understand that a longer shutoff would be very difficult for our customers. We are already working to minimize the length, including amassing a force of field personnel from PG&E, plus contractors and other utility companies, to be ready to tackle the inspection, repair and restoration process as soon as the weather passes,' he said in a statement.
PG&E cites the 'historic wind event' set to hit the state this weekend as the main reason for the additional power cuts.
On Saturday evening, the Diablo winds are expected to pick up and will last until at least Monday morning.
Dave King, meteorologist for the National Weather Service's Monterey office told the LA times that the event was 'historic'.
'This is definitely an event that we're calling historic and extreme. What's making this event really substantial and historic is the amount of time that these winds are going to remain.'
Pictured: Utility company PG&E announced they may cut power for several counties in four separate regions because of an 'historic wind event set to hit California this weekend
The power cuts could affect 850,00 household, equally to around 2.5 million homes, in California as they attempt to prepare for 70mph winds
Winds are expected to reach up to 70mph in the mountains and the high winds could potentially cause an electrical system to spark, causing a fire to set ablaze in dry bush.
'The upcoming wind event has the potential to be one of the strongest in the last several years. It's also likely to be longer than recent wind events, which have lasted about 12 hours or less,' PG&E meteorologist Scott Strenfel.
According to an announcement from the utility company, 12 counties in the Northern Sierra foothills could lose power by as early as 3pm Saturday and five counties in the North Bay area could be without power by 5pm Saturday.
A staggering 15 counties could without power around 7pm on Saturday in the Bay Area, Central Coast and Sierra Foothills.
Finally, Kern county could is potentially scheduled for 11am on Sunday.
An official announcement is scheduled for 8am on Saturday.
California firefighters battling blazes in Canyon County, north of Los Angeles, on Friday night
Meanwhile, PG&E is catching heat for its potential role in the massive wildfires terrorizing California.
Pacific Gas & Electric says up to 2.1 million people in Northern and Central California could lose power in the largest planned power shutoff in the region.
The utility said it has notified about 850,000 customers in 36 counties that it may cut off power between 6pm and 10pm on Saturday to prevent wildfires. The outages may last until midday Monday.
California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed PG&E's 'years and years of greed' on Friday after the utility company admitted its electrical equipment may have ignited a ruinous wildfire that spread across California's wine country.
PG&E made the stark admission despite blackouts imposed across the region to prevent blazes.
And Newsom, who had earlier declared a state of emergency for Sonoma and Los Angeles counties, told a news conference: 'We should not have to be here. Years and years of greed, years and years of mismanagement in the utilities, in particularly PG&E.
'Greed has precipitated a lack of intentionality and focus and a hardening our grid, undergrounding their transmission lines.
'They simply did not do their job. We will hold them accountable. This is not the new normal, this cannot continue.'
California Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghillarducci is warning Californians to be prepared with supplies because gas stations and grocery stores might lose power.
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A trailer burns, as a wind driven wildfire continues to burn in Canyon Country north of Los Angeles. California governor Gavin Newsom slammed Pacific Gas & Electric's 'years and years of greed' on Friday after the utility company admitted its electrical equipment may have ignited a ruinous wildfire that spread across California's wine country on Friday
PG&E admitted its electrical equipment may have ignited a ruinous wildfire that spread across California's wine country on Friday despite blackouts imposed across the region. A wind driven wildfire continues to burn in Canyon Country Friday
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, tours a home destroyed by the Kincade fire on Friday. Newsom declared a state of emergency Friday as wildfires scorch both ends of the state from Sonoma to Los Angeles
The company says up to 2.1 million people in Northern and Central California could lose power in the largest planned power shutoff in the region. Firefighters hose down a burning house during the Tick Fire in Agua Dulce near Santa Clarita
PG&E said it didn't de-energize a 230,000-volt transmission line near Geyserville that malfunctioned and finding a 'broken jumper' wire on a transmission tower around 9.20pm on Wednesday.
Seven minutes later, the so-called Kincade Fire erupted in Sonoma County, near the town of Geyserville, forcing about 2,000 evacuations, burning 49 structures and leaving huge swathes of the state without power.
It was whipped up by the strong winds that had prompted PG&E to impose sweeping blackouts affecting a half-million people in Northern and Central California.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire), the state's firefighting agency had said earlier just five percent of the fire is contained after 21,900 acres were burned.
Footage of the Kincade fire's initial spark was captured and shows how devastatingly quick the blaze grew in just a matter of minutes.
Footage shows the exact moment the Kincade fire in Sonoma County lit ablaze on 9.20pm on Wednesday and forced 2,000 evacuations
The initial spark grew quickly and would go on to burn 49 structures and burning almost 22,000 acres
The clip begins with a bright white spot on the horizon shortly after 9.20pm on Wednesday.
It quickly grows before suddenly exploding into huge flames. The fire had devastated 10,000-acres by morning and has since gone on to destroy nearly 22,000 acres, according to officials.
Cameras from the University of Nevada and the University of Oregon are set up to help fire crews locate and respond to fires faster.
The flames appear to shoot up in the air after being fueled by winds of more than 70 miles per hour.
Fire crews are said to have carved containment lines around just five percent of the blaze's perimeter since it erupted on Wednesday night.
Light breezes early on Friday helped firefighters make headway.
As of now, only five percent of the Kincade fire in Sonoma County has been contained
PG&E CEO Bill Johnson said it was too soon to know if the faulty equipment started the fire. He said the tower had been inspected four times in the past two years and appeared to have been in 'excellent condition'.
The disclosure came as firefighters simultaneously battled flames in Sonoma County's vineyards, and a wind-whipped blaze that destroyed homes near Los Angeles.
Currently, there are nine active wildfires are raging across California that have burned nearly 35,000 acres, CNN reports.
In Northern California, the active fires include the Cabrillo Fire, Kincade Fire, Muir Fire and Nelson Fire. Meanwhile in Southern California they include the Mines Fire, Saddle Ridge Fire and Tick Fire.
Flames from the Kincade Fire consume a car in the Jimtown community of unincorporated Sonoma County
Kevin Kinney, left, and his wife Diane watch a neighbor's wildfire-ravaged home Friday.PG&E CEO Bill Johnson said it was too soon to know if the faulty equipment started the fire. He said the tower had been inspected four times in the past two years and appeared to have been in 'excellent condition'
Pacific Gas & Electric is currently investigating whether a high-voltage power line that malfunctioned minutes before a Northern California wildfire broke out. Pictured: A fire truck drives by a burning hillside as the Kincade Fire burns a hillside in Geyservilla on Thursday
The company reported that a 'broken jumper' wire on a transmission tower around 9.20 pm on Wednesday and the Kincade Fire broke out seven minutes later. Pictured: A building is engulfed in flames at a vineyard during the Kincade fire near Geyserville on Thursday
A reported 2,000 people have been evacuated, 49 homes have been destroyed and 16,000 acres have been burned. Pictured: Flames and smoke rise after a fire broke out at Geyserville town in Sonoma County on Friday
Seven of the active wildfires in California in the above map: the Cabrillo Fire, Kincade Fire, Muir Fire and Nelson Fire in the north; and the Mines Fire, Saddle Ridge Fire and Tick Fire in the south
Satellite imagery captures the Kincade wildfire as it burns across Sonoma County on Friday morning
Punishing Santa Ana winds pushed the Tick Fire into Los Angeles-area neighborhoods, burning at least six homes and putting as many as 50,000 people under evacuation orders.
In just a few hours, the blaze, one of four in the area, went from scorching a few hundred acres to more than 4,000, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Only five percent of it was contained as of Friday morning.
The threat of hot, dry, winds driving flames far and wide was met with fleets of aircraft and more than 500 firefighters on the ground, who tried to protect homes where backyards were surrounded by trees and brush.
We know of at least six [homes that have burned] but that number may rise,' Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger in a news conference on Thursday night.
'We cannot let our guard down. We're going to fight this aggressively.'
About 10,000 structures are threatened, but it is unknown how many have been damaged or destroyed, reported CNN.
No injuries were reported but fire officials say a firefighting helicopter was struck by a bird and its windshield damage, forcing it out of the fight until Friday.
Firefighters hose down a burning house during the Tick Fire in Agua Dulce near Santa Clarita, California, on Friday
Punishing Santa Ana winds pushed the Tick Fire into Los Angeles-area neighborhoods. Pictured: Firefighters struggle to put out flames at a home near Santa Clarita on Friday
The Tick Fire has burned least six homes and put as many as 50,000 people under evacuation orders. Pictured: Smoke from a wind driven wild fire is seen in the hills of Canyon Country north of Los Angeles on Thursday
Only five percent of the Tick Fire was contained as of Friday morning, according to CalFire. Pictured: A resident covers his face during an evacuation as a wildfire approaches on Thursday in Santa Clarita
Alejandro Corrales tearfully watched her home burn on a ridge in Canyon Country, taking with it her mother's ashes, other belongings and possibly a pen full of pet sheep.
Luckily, her daughter managed to take some small pets and all three of her children were safe.
'You start thinking about all the things you can't get back,' Corrales told KCBS-TV.
'Everything in the house is gone, the panels on one of the pens where we have some rescued sheep was too hot for my daughter to open and so she couldn't let them out ... so I'm probably sure that we lost them, too.'
The Santa Ana winds, with gusts of 45mph to 60mph, are expected to continue through the weekend and into early next week.
Southern California Edison, which cut power to more than 31,000 customers on Thursday, was considering additional power cuts to more than 386,000 customers.
The shutdowns were designed to prevent fierce winds from hurling branches into power lines or toppling them, sparking wildfires.
A firefighter sprays water a home burns from the Kincade Fire that ripped through the area near Geyserville on Thursday
Firefighters battle a wind driven wildfire in the hills of Canyon Country north of Los Angeles on Thursday
Firefighters battle a wind driven wildfire in the hills of Canyon Country north of Los Angeles
A car burns at the edge of a vineyard after the Kincade Fire burned through the area near Geyserville, California
A wildfire approaches a residential subdivision on Thursday in Santa Clarita
Thick black smoke fills the sky as firefighters battle a wind driven wildfire in the hills of Canyon Country north of Los Angeles on Thursday
Additionally, the Gentle Barn, an animal protection organization in Los Angeles County were forced to evacuate due to the Tick Fire.
TMZ reported that most animals were evacuated but some were unable to escape, so some staffers are staying with them including Zeus, a 12-year-old pig, and Forgiveness, a 3,000-pound cow.
Meanwhile, the Kincade Fire in Northern California, which began on Wednesday night, had burned 49 buildings and prompted evacuation orders for some 2,000 people in the Geyserville area.
Among those fleeing was 81-year-old Harry Bosworth, who awoke before sunrise Thursday to find a firetruck and firefighters in his driveway. As he and his wife drove off, flames surrounded their driveway and their barn caught fire.
'I could see the fire coming, so we got the heck out of there,' Bosworth said after escaping to his daughter's house in the neighboring town of Healdsburg.
According to CalFire, as of Friday morning, just five percent of the 21,900 acres the Kincade Fire has burned are contained.
The blaze in Sonoma County had burned 25 square miles, whipped up by the strong winds that had prompted PG&E to impose sweeping blackouts in northern and central California.
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