UPDATE: Power shutoff on hold in Fresno County, elsewhere in Valley as winds ease

UPDATE: PG&E on Monday morning said it would cancel the wildfire safety blackout as winds eased across California.

ORIGINAL STORY: Hundreds of residents in Fresno, Madera, Mariposa and Tulare counties may still lose power by early Monday as PG&E weighs another round of so-called public safety power shutoffs because of high winds and other extreme fire risk conditions.

Those conditions were expected to align by late Sunday night, according to PG&E’s announcement that its power alert site had been activated, with high winds forecast to continue into the early-morning hours and peak during the day Monday.

It was possible that the extreme conditions could linger in areas of the state through early Tuesday. The winds can knock down the lines, which, if still charged with power, can ignite dry brush in a state that already has endured a record wildfire season.

As of Friday afternoon, about 132,000 PG&E customers in 15 counties and five tribal communities had been notified of potential shutoffs. That number fell to 92,000 on Saturday and was further reduced to about 8,500 in and near the central San Joaquin Valley as of Sunday.

Here is a list of customers by county who could potentially be affected by the latest PSPS event, per a PG&E news release:

Fresno County: 359 customers, 12 medical baseline customers

Madera County: 337 customers, 16 medical baseline customers

Mariposa County: 1,234 customers, 18 medical baseline customers

Tuolumne County: 6,293 customers, 297 medical baseline customers

Tulare County: 225 customers, three medical baseline customers

Total: 8,448 customers, 346 medical baseline customers

After wind speeds ease, PG&E crews must check lines to ensure they were not damaged. The goal is to restore electricity to most customers within 12 daylight hours.

In addition to the calls they should receive from the utility, customers can look up their address online to find out if their location is being monitored for the potential safety shutoff at pge.com/pspsupdates.

Five of the top six biggest wildfires in recent state history have broken out this year, including the Creek Fire in Fresno and Madera counties. Just short of full containment, the Creek Fire area comprises 377,693 acres — No. 4 all-time according to statistics posted on the Cal Fire website.

This story was originally published December 6, 2020 at 8:20 PM.