PG&E Cuts Power To Tens Of Thousands

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Pacific Gas & Electric has begun turning off power to more than 50,000 Northern California customers as dry, windy conditions renew the threat of fire in a season already marked by deadly, devastating blazes. The utility announced Wednesday evening that it had begun cutting power to up to 33,000 customers, with about another 20,000 to follow in a few hours. The shutoffs will affect nearly two dozen counties, mostly in the Sierras and San Francisco Bay Area, and could last 48 hours. Preemptive electricity cuts are aimed at preventing fires from being started by power lines that have been damaged or knocked down amid high winds.