After suffering the worst wildfire season in state history, California is battening down in preparation for extremely dangerous winds that could cause more fires.
In the worst year on record for American wildfires, California is shutting down power to 1 million people. The shut down will come from PG&E. Pacific Gas & Electric says the outages will begin in Northern CA.
The company has been responsible for several of the worst California wildfires in state history. As a result, they’re shutting down power due to a forecast that calls for incredibly dangerous high winds.
If a tree were to fall onto one of their power lines, it could cause a massive disaster. While this will be an inconvenience for many, PG&E has to step up and save lives. This will be the fifth time they’ve cut power in 2020 – and the largest affected area.
‘We obviously recognize that power outages present hardships. That’s why we try to make it as small as we can,’ PG&E commander Mark Quinlan says to Daily Mail.
PG&E’s Dangerous History with California Wildfires
Pacific Gas & Electric’s abundance of caution is new, and far from unfounded. PG&E’s equipment and safety negligence caused the 2018 Paradise, California Wildfire – which decimated the town and killed 85 people. This was the most fatalities from a fire in state history.
What’s more, all of Northern California is in extreme drought. Combining this with dangerous winds, low humidity, and zero relief from rain is cause for great concern. Experts agree that climate change is to blame, as well.
In addition to drying out the land, warmer temperatures mean longer fire seasons, too. The drier California is, the easier it will burn. And so far this year, more than 8,600 wildfires have burnt 6,400 square miles.
31 people have perished in 2020 from California wildfires.
[H/T Daily Mail]
