Nov. 27 (UPI) — Southern California Edison cut power to thousands of customers in the state on Thursday amid a wildfire threat.
The utility apologized for the Public Safety Power Shutoff in a post on Twitter as it came amid the Thanksgiving Holiday.
“We understand these PSPS actions are disruptive to our customers — especially during the Thanksgiving holiday — and we are making every effort to reduce the impact,” SCE said.
The utility estimated that power was shut off for about 3,167 customers mostly in Ventura County with some in Los Angeles County, while saying more than 111,000 customers may face shutoffs through Friday.
“Turning off our customers’ power is not something we take lightly, but Public Power Shutoff events are one of the best ways we can better ensure the safety of the public, our customers and our employees,” SCE said.
The shutoffs are intended to reduce the risk of fires sparked by electrical equipment due to strong winds.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for portions of Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire with low humidity and wind gusts of 40-65 mph expected.
