10:15 p.m. update:
PG&E officials confirmed about 10,000 customers are still in the dark amid the latest power shutoffs.
In the latest PG&E update, officials said there were at least 72 instances of damages to powerlines. During a news conference earlier in the day, PG&E officials said patrols found 130 instances of damages, mostly vegetation such as trees falling on lines.
PG&E officials said that a wildfire could have ignited due to these damages if they chose not to shut off the power.
6:30 p.m. update:
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Patrol crews found 130 damages to power lines that could have potentially ignited wildfires if the electricity was left on during the wind storm on Sunday and Monday, PG&E officials said.
Officials said most of the damages were caused by vegetation, such as trees fallen on lines, and could have caused a spark if PG&E chose not to shut off the power.
Approximately 350,000 customers were affected throughout PG&E's power shutoff.
About 45,000 customers do not have running electricity, but PG&E officials expect the power to return to most of them by the end of Tuesday.
Officials said about 8,000 of those customers will still be in the dark until Wednesday at noon.
11 a.m. update:
PG&E gives the "all-clear" to parts of Grass Valley and Nevada City, according to the Nevada County Office of Emergency Services. They say PG&E has been inspecting power lines in the area and that power will likely be restored Tuesday night.
Original story:
PG&E has restored power to more than 156,000 customers, but 189,000 customers will likely have to wait until Tuesday evening for power to return.
Crews will need to complete patrols of more than 17,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines as they check for damage and hazards. PG&E said their preliminary data showed at least 13 instances of weather-related damage in the power shutoff areas. This includes downed lines and vegetation on power lines which could have sparked a wildfire. Incident Commander Mark Quinlan expects the number of hazards and damage cases to increase as they continue their work into Tuesday.
The outage was originally planned for 466,000 customers, but that number dropped throughout the weekend to about 345,000 as PG&E's meteorologist got a better sense of the weather. PG&E meteorologist Scott Strenfel called this past wind the strongest of the season, with areas like Sonoma County recording peak gusts of 89 miles per hour.
Counties in Northern California with customers that could expect power to be restored Tuesday evening include:
- Yolo County - 165 customers
- Stanislaus County - 35 customers
- Solano County - 1,597 customers
- Placer County - 17,017 customers
- Nevada County - 40,246 customers
- El Dorado County - 38,462 customers
- Butte County - 13,066 customers
While major fires were avoided in Northern California, Southern California wasn't so lucky. Southern California Edison says its equipment may have sparked the Silverado Fire that has prompted evacuation orders for more than 90,000 people and critically injured two firefighters. Edison filed a report with the state Public Utilities Commission that says a “lashing wire” may have struck a conductor in the area where the fire broke out Monday. That blaze and a smaller one nearby prompted evacuation orders in Irvine and other Orange County communities.
A Red Flag Warning is still in effect for many parts of Northern California through 5 p.m. Tuesday.
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High winds have Sacramento-area firefighters on high alert
