PG&E shutoffs hit Bay Area as heat and fire weather grips region
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. began shutting off power in parts of Northern California on Wednesday night as dry offshore winds and low humidity raised wildfire concerns across the region.
The utility said public safety power shutoffs were required through Thursday in parts of Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Sutter, Tehama and Yolo counties.
In the Bay Area, the Chronicle's PG&E outage map showed several public safety power shutoffs Thursday afternoon in parts of the North Bay.
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Related: What you need to know before next round of shutoffs
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Outage tracker: Searchable real-time map with latest shutoff information
The update marks a significant shift from PG&E's earlier forecast, which had said shutoffs were possible in parts of eight counties.
PG&E said the outages were intended to reduce the risk that electrical equipment could ignite a wildfire during dangerous weather. The company said its emergency operations center remained activated for an ongoing dry offshore wind event, though winds were expected to ease later Thursday.
Breezy to gusty offshore winds were occurring Thursday morning across the west side of the Sacramento Valley and elevated Bay Area terrain, with gusts of 30 to 45 mph and locally stronger winds, according to PG&E's meteorology team.
The utility said pressure gradients peaked Wednesday night, and gusts were expected to fall below 25 mph across the Sacramento Valley and nearby areas by midafternoon Thursday.
The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for parts of the Sacramento Valley and higher terrain in the North Bay and East Bay, citing gusty winds and low humidity. The Sacramento Valley warning was in effect until 5 p.m. Thursday, while the Bay Area warning for the North Bay interior mountains and East Bay hills expired at 9 a.m.
The shutoffs were taking place as the Bay Area and inland Northern California face a sharp warmup. Thursday is expected to be even hotter than Wednesday, with triple-digit temperatures possible along the Interstate 680 corridor in the East Bay, much of Solano County and northern parts of Wine Country.
Temperatures were expected to remain well above normal across interior Northern California into early next week, with triple-digit highs in the Central Valley. PG&E said a sea breeze and onshore winds should bring gradual cooling near the coast and into the delta region through the weekend.
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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 10:34 AM.