Representatives from Southern California Edison held a meeting last night in the Yucca Valley High School multi-purpose room to give the public information about its Wildfire Mitigation Plan, and about when the power company would resort to proactively turning off electrical service to its customers to reduce the risk of wildfire. Managing editor Tami Roleff was there, and files this report…
Many of the state’s worst wildfires were started when high winds blew trees or branches onto live power lines, which ignited the vegetation below. Several utility companies have been found responsible in the courts for starting the fires, to the tune of billions of dollars.
The state has required utility companies to form a Wildfire Mitigation Plan of how they plan to reduce the risk of wildfires, which includes de-energizing power lines when the risk of wildfires is high. Southern California Edison has its own staff of meteorologists, more than 200 weather stations, and fire cameras, situated throughout its coverage area, which it uses to monitor weather conditions that are conducive to wildfires: high winds, low humidity, heat, and dry vegetation.
Edison’s plan is to notify first responders three days in advance of a potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), and then it will notify its customers two days and one day in advance, and also on the day of the shutoff. Customers who rely on oxygen and other medical devices will be among the first to be notified, so that they can make arrangements.
When power is restored, customers will be notified that the power is back (in case a customer’s power did not come back on when it was supposed to).
The representatives stressed that if the power is turned off, it will be for the smallest possible area; if there is a PSPS in Apple Valley or Big Bear, it’s unlikely that residents in the Morongo Basin would be affected.
For more information about the Wildfire Mitigation Plan, see:
https://newsroom.edison.com/releases/southern-california-edison-files-2019-wildfire-mitigation-plan
