California Faces Another Blackout Amid State of Emergency

Blazes are burning near Los Angeles, north of San Francisco
Weekend is expected to bring biggest wind storm in years

Traffic moves past a gas station during a blackout in Calistoga, California on Oct. 24.Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

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By Mark Chediak, David R Baker, and Brian K Sullivan

October 25, 2019 at 1:48 PM UTC

Updated on

October 25, 2019 at 8:51 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

As wildfires trigger a state of emergency, California is bracing for its potentially biggest and longest deliberate blackout yet.

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Friday in parts of both Northern and Southern California as blazes destroy tens of thousands of acres and send residents fleeing. To keep power lines from sparking more fires, utility giant PG&E Corp. plans to cut electricity to potentially millions of people Saturday as violent winds hit the region.