PG&E to shut off power in parts of Mariposa Co., part of statewide wildfire plan affecting 800,000 customers

SAN FRANCISCO (KFSN) -- A Northern California utility says it will shut off power to more than 800,000 customers in 34 counties to reduce the risk of wildfire amid dry, windy conditions.

Pacific Gas and Electric says it expects to begin shutting down power in some areas starting just after Wednesday midnight.

Tuesday night, the PG&E site crashed after it was overloaded with visitors. Officials are urging people to check their social media pages for updates instead.

The affected areas are shown in PINK on the map. Also, the map shows the current Briceburg Fire evacuations and advisories.

Caltrans announced it would close the Caldecott Tunnel because it cannot operate safely without power. But PG&E will provide backup generation for the tunnel which will allow it to remain open.

The main period of weather risk is early Wednesday morning through Thursday afternoon.

A timeline for restoration will be established once the winds die down, but is expected to last days so crews can safely turn the power back on in waves.

San Francisco is the only county not affected in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

The company says to support customers in the affected areas it will open up Community Resource Centers on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 8 a.m. It says the centers will remain open during daylight hours only and will have restrooms, bottled water, electronic-device charging, and air-conditioned seating.
Towns in Mariposa County that will be affected by the Public Safety Power ShutOff will include: Coulterville, La Grange, Greeley Hill, and Mariposa.

The Coulterville Fire Department will have a center open at 10293 Ferry Road, Coulterville, CA 95311.

For more information about the Public Safety Power Shutoff click here.