California Braces for Another Day of Heat, Wind and Wildfires
- Winds, dry air pose an immediate threat as fire risks rise
- Pressure stays on utilities struggling to balance demands
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The punishing heat gripping California will continue into Friday as dry winds threaten to fan fires across the already charred landscape and trigger another round of power outages.
Diablo winds roaring through Northern California prompted the state’s largest utility, PG&E Corp., to cut electricity to about 41,000 homes and businesses in a bid to keep downed wires from starting fires. The state’s grid operator, meanwhile, has called for utilities to postpone maintenance at power plants and on transmission lines Friday to avoid rotating blackouts as rising temperatures drives up demand.