Why California Fire Threats Cut Lights for Millions

The hot, dry winds that sweep across California each Autumn have long brought fires in their wake. Now they’re bringing some of the biggest planned blackouts the U.S. has ever seen as well. After two years of devastating blazes, several of which were tied to downed electric lines, the state’s biggest utilities, PG&E Corp. and Edison International, have adopted extreme measures, including preemptively cutting power to hundreds of thousands of customers in anticipation of storms. The broad nature of the shutoffs has ignited a debate over how far California must go to prevent fires amid increasingly warm and dry weather.

Authorities say yes. In May, state investigators concluded that the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 86 people, was sparked by PG&E power lines as dry winds raked the region. It was the deadliest blaze in California history, destroying the town of Paradise. PG&E shares tumbled 85% in the months after the blaze. The San Francisco-based company filed for bankruptcy in January and is facing an estimated $30 billion in liabilities from fires in 2017 and 2018. Earlier this year, investigators found power lines owned by Edison International’s Southern California Edison utility ignited the Thomas Fire in late 2017. It consumed almost 300,000 acres north of Los Angeles, killing two people.