GEYSERVILLE – Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Sonoma and Los Angeles Counties due to wildfires.
PG&E announced that 36 counties could lose power as part of its plan to reduce the chances of a fallen line sparking a wildfire in areas with a heightened fire risk.
An estimated 850,000 customers in 36 counties in California could lose power in the next round of Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS).
Residents of Mariposa County were some of the many who were told that they could lose power on Saturday.
ARE YOU AFFECTED BY PUBLIC SAFETY POWER SHUTOFFS? CHECK YOUR ADDRESS:
Governor Newsom traveled to Sonoma County Friday to survey areas impacted by the Kincade Fire and meet with emergency responders, residents, health officers and local and state officials.
The Kincade and Tick fires have destroyed structures, threatened homes and critical infrastructure, and caused the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents.
The governor held a news conference about the fires and the state of emergency declaration.
Newsom also announced he secured Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the fires.
As shutoffs impacted residents, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the launch of the Local Government PSPS Resiliency Program to mitigate the impact on Californians by supporting continuity of operations and efforts to protect public health, safety, and commerce in affected communities.
“PG&E failed to maintain its infrastructure and Californians are facing hardship as a result. For decades, they have placed greed before public safety,” said Governor Newsom. “We must do everything we can to support Californians, especially those most vulnerable to these events. These funds will help local governments address these events and assist their most vulnerable residents.”
Governor Newsom and the State Legislature included a $75 million one-time General Fund appropriation in the 2019 Budget Act to support state and local government efforts to protect public safety, vulnerable populations and individuals and improve resiliency in response to utility-led PSPS actions. The funding will focus on jurisdictions where there is heightened PSPS vulnerability. Half of the funds will be allocated to local governments – at least $150,000 will be awarded to all 58 counties with additional funding based on county size and experience with PSPS. The cities of Los Angeles, San Jose, San Diego, and Oakland will receive $500,000 each. A total of $8 million will support competitive grants available to other incorporated cities and $1.5 million will be available in competitive grants for tribal governments.
The grant funding can be used to secure equipment, such as generators and/or generator connections, fuel storage or other backup energy sources for essential facilities, such as fire stations, community centers, health facilities and other facilities that are critical to communities’ function during energy interruptions, backup emergency communications equipment, and developing and conducting plans that better prepare communities for PSPS events, including risk assessment for critical infrastructure and equipping resource centers for the public to access. The grants will be administered by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
The program provides $37.5 million for state agencies and departments to ensure continuity of operations and public services statewide.
This week, the Governor issued a letter to executives of the three investor-owned utilities in the state, Pacific Gas and Electric, San Diego Gas and Electric and Edison International, demanding they adhere to previously agreed protocols for PSPS decisions, and to coordinate with state and local officials to protect public safety and limit the impact of these events. He also issued letter to PG&E CEO William Johnson earlier this week, demanding the utility do more to provide information for customers and take action to reduce the number of customers impacted. Earlier this month, Governor Newsom urged PG&E to provide affected customers an automatic credit or rebate of $100 per residential customer and $250 per small business as some compensation for their hardships.
PG&E spokesperson Denny Boyle took to Twitter on Friday to urge customers to “make sure your email, phone number, language preference and mailing address are current for your account. We want to be able to inform you about the possible need to proactively turn off power for public safety.”
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If you rely on electric or battery-dependent medical technologies such as assistive technology, breathing machines, a power wheelchair or scooter & home oxygen or dialysis, it is critical that you have a plan in place for an extended power outage https://t.co/r4vNU4tKC7 pic.twitter.com/erNq4PG0Hy
— Denny Boyles (@PGE_Denny) October 25, 2019
Boyles posted the following list:
Are you prepared for an extended outage?
1) Update your contact info
2) Review your emergency plan
3) Check on those who need special help, young & elderly
4) Have enough water, food & other supplies
5) Ensure generators are ready to safely use.
INFO: http://www.pge.com/psps
