North Bay

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A huge wildfire that killed 86 people In Paradise , California, last year

An energy company cut to prevent electricity for about 800,000 homes, businesses and other locations in Northern California , in an attempt to forest fires.

The Power of no longer have Large parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, But not in The City , angering residents.

The region of the energy supplier Pacific Gas and Electric (PG& E), has warned that the shutdown could last for several Days .

The Company lines, started the most devastating forest fire in California's history in the last year.

With The Weather forecasts, which Will move from the strong winds, The Risk of fallen Power Lines to ignite more forest fires.

"The conditions are ripe, dry fuel, high winds, warm event are:. Any spark can be an important event," said Ray Riordan, Director of The Office of Emergency Management in San Jose , during a press conference on Tuesday.

The National Weather Service has a red flag warning for the Santa Cruz Mountains, North-and the East Bay, the regions to Thursday, warning that the conditions could be the result of "The Strongest offshore wind event in the Region of fires since October, 2017 North Bay ".

As of Wednesday morning, PG& E said about 500,000 customers were without electricity. A further 200,000 were scheduled to lose power, at noon, local time, But the energy supplier has to continue to be delayed until later in the afternoon due to changing weather conditions.

The great “bonfire" in The Town of Paradise last year to 150,000 acres, and left burned and killed 86 people. An investigation found that poorly maintained PG& E equipment responsible for the Start of the historic blaze.

The Firm was also to blame for deadly fires in 2017. a process that is still running. PG& E is not the only provider of gas and electricity for most of Northern California , and the vast majority of consumers in the region an alternative source of power.

"We have an example of senseless fire season in The Past two years," said Tamar Sarkissian, PG& E spokeswoman, in an interview with the BBC's partner Cbs News .

"And what have we learned from this that we must take further steps to ensure the safety of our customers and the communities we serve. Public safety-power-shutdown is one of the many steps we take. "

PG& E has conducted several planned outages during The Past year, although none on the scale of what is planned This Week .

"None of us is happy about it," said the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom . “But that's part of something we knew was likely to occur, a few months ago, when PG& woke up E finally is your responsibility to keep people Safe . "

The outages are expected to affect More Than half of The State 's districts.

The warnings, the distance to the North of the San Francisco Bay Area, in areas such as Napa and Sonoma, the famous wine. Further to the South, in many cities, synonymous with the Silicon Valley giant could be affected, such as Cupertino, home of Apple.

Local shops reported an influx of customers, inventories, buys for an Black Out , that it could, if The Weather is unfavorable, take several Days .

experts are worried could gusty wind, the conditions for forest fires to ignite

"The idea of Five Days without power is disastrous," said Libby Schaaf , mayor of Oakland, But added: "We assume that a worst-case scenario. This is the First Time , to go through this. "

However, websites with information about the reductions have loads buckled under the Heavy Traffic . Many of the residents taken to the PG& E-social-media-channels, to reduce your frustrations.

"That's ridiculous!", Veronica wrote button.

"to give you wasted money that you should have been using the safety instructions, the dividends to their shareholders. Now you have to shut down our power as a kind of Third World country.

"If you shut down The Power hazards, you can't work, once their notification site, to properly! Get it, PG& E! To pay no more increases for their incompetence. "

PG& E 28 Community Resource Center in the region, the "toilets, water has a charge opened in bottles and electronic devices" during daylight hours.

Many schools in the area have told students to stay home on Wednesday and are expecting more information for the Rest of the week.

Despite the widespread frustration, local meteorologist Mike Pechner CBS The Move said it was justified.

"It's not an overreaction at all. How is The Wind in the wires, of course, swing back and forth. If they touch, they start a fire.

"[cutting capacity] is under downed wires and strong winds out of The Fire equation. "

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Source of news: bbc.com