An ongoing power outage in Southern Humboldt County is affecting 1,851 customers, according to PG&E spokesperson Megan McFarland. The outage began at 3:11 p.m., and PG&E crews are currently patrolling the line to identify the cause.
McFarland explained that PG&E has activated its Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) in high fire threat districts, including parts of Humboldt County. “EPSS are advanced safety settings and allow our powerlines to automatically turn off power within one-tenth of a second. This can happen when there’s a hazard, like a tree branch falling into a powerline, which can cause a fire,” she said.
These safety measures are critical in high fire-risk areas, helping to reduce the likelihood of fires sparked by powerlines according to McFarland. She noted, “In 2022, there was a 68% reduction in ignitions on EPSS-enabled powerlines.” However, when an EPSS setting is triggered, crews must patrol the entire circuit to ensure no damage or hazards are present.
“PG&E will use helicopters, when possible, to conduct aerial patrols,” McFarland explained. “Extra crews will be brought in when ground patrols are needed so the patrol can be done safely and as quickly as possible to restore service to our customers.”
She told us that at this time, PG&E is in the patrolling phase and has not yet determined an estimated time for restoration.
Current PG&E outage map as of 4:30 p.m.
UPDATE 5:30 p.m.: KMUD’s Lauren Schmitt captured the redwood branch that caused the outage. It knocked against powerlines on its way down and went through the window of a car in Redway. Lauren told us that a “PGE worker confirmed its what caused the outage.”
UPDATE 7 p.m.: According to the PG&E Outage Map, the power is back on for everyone in the area.
Read More: [UPDATE 7 p.m.: Good News + Video] Nearly 2,000 Customers Without Power as PG&E