Bankrupt utility owner PG&E Corp. issued an unprecedented warning to cut power in about 30 California counties as hot and windy conditions leave the state at risk of wildfires.
The move could impact wide swaths of Northern and Central California, including in Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Napa, and Contra Costa counties. High winds are forecast in the region from late Tuesday through Thursday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
PG&E and other California utilities have been taking more aggressive measures to keep equipment from sparking blazes after power lines ignited a series of catastrophic fires in 2017 and 2018. For PG&E, the stakes are especially high. Another major fire sparked by its equipment could upend its restructuring plans by creating new claims that would take priority over existing ones.