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PG&E to Shut Off Power in Sierra Foothills Amid Fire Danger

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PG&E's plan for preemptive power shut-offs could affect transmission lines like this one in Butte County, pictured during the November 2018 Camp Fire. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. will shut down power to areas of the Sierra Foothills because of hot, dry and windy conditions that increase fire danger.

The utility tweeted that the power shut-off, which is expected to begin about 5 p.m., will affect an estimated 21,000 people in Butte, Nevada and Yuba counties. PG&E said no one in El Dorado, Placer or Sutter counties in the Sierra Foothills would be affected.

PG&E also said in a tweet it was not projecting a Monday evening "public safety power shutoff" event for Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties, but would closely monitor weather Monday night and again Tuesday morning for possible power shut-offs in those areas.

9 Things to Know About Power Shut-offs

Cal Fire announced in May that its investigation into last November's Camp Fire confirmed that a PG&E electrical transmission line sparked the blaze. The Camp Fire — the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in modern California history — killed 86 people and destroyed much of the communities of Paradise, Concow and Magalia.

Earlier this month, PG&E agreed to pay $11 billion to insurance companies holding 85% of the insurance claims from fires that include the November 2018 blaze.

Strong winds, low humidity and warm temperatures were forecast in the region through Wednesday.

Cal Fire also tweeted that much of Northern California is under a red flag warning through Wednesday and that people should take extreme caution when outdoors.

PG&E earlier said shut-offs in the North Bay and farther north could have affected more than 100,000 people.

The California Public Utilities Commission adopted an expanded set of rules on May 30 aimed at clarifying when the state's big utilities can shut off power during times of high fire danger and what utilities need to do before they turn out your lights.

The power shut-offs — a practice the regulatory world calls de-energization — have been used sparingly in the past as a tool to reduce the risk of electrical equipment touching off fires during exceedingly windy, dry, hot weather.

The shutdowns are a technique pioneered by San Diego Gas and Electric Co. after its power lines ignited 2007's Witch Fire, which killed two people and destroyed 1,100 homes.

Here are questions and answers on how the public safety power shut-offs work and what the CPUC's new guidelines will mean for utility customers.

This story includes reporting from KQED's Dan Brekke and the Associated Press.

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