Public Safety Power Shutoff scheduled for Santa Ynez area

SANTA YNEZ, Calif. - Pacific Gas & Electric announced that a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) has been scheduled for Tuesday morning and will affect some residents in the Santa Ynez area.

PG&E said a PSPS is conducted when weather conditions create high potential for a wildfire to be ignited by their equipment.

The power shutoff is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 21, ahead of dry, gusty winds that were forecasted to occur.

PG&E estimates power will be restored around 10 a.m., however, there is a chance the outage could last longer.

PG&E plans to proactively shut off power to parts of northern Santa Ynez & in Ventucopa Tuesday morning (9/21). Outage may last several hours or days depending on conditions & time needed to restore service. For info, call PG&E at 1-877-660-6789 or visit https://t.co/e93l5Na3qB

— SBCountyOEM (@SBCountyOEM) September 21, 2021

PG&E said this shutoff will impact 19 PG&E serviced households and businesses located northeast of Santa Ynez and Highway 154 as well as along portions of Figueroa Road and Catway Road south to Mora Road.

More than 7,100 PG&E customers have been notified that a PSPS is going to occur.

PG&E said the decision to initiate a PSPS is not taken lightly and is done as a last resort for public safety given the exceptional drought conditions and dry, offshore wind that heighten wildfire risk.

To find out if you will be impacted by a scheduled PSPS, as well as obtain live updates regarding the status of the event, visit www.pge.com/pspsupdates.

To view a map of all of PG&E's scheduled power shutoffs, click here.

Below are PG&E's Power Outage Safety Tips to be implemented ahead of a power shutoff:

• Use a cell phone or hard-wired phone. Cordless phones do not work without electricity.
• Use battery-operated flashlights, not candles, which pose a fire hazard.
• Unplug or turn off all electric and heat-producing appliances (e.g., air conditioners, washers and dryers, ovens, stoves, irons) to avoid overloading circuits. Overloaded circuits can be a fire hazard once power is restored.
• Unplug televisions and computers that were in use when the power went out.
• Leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns.
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed, and place extra containers of ice inside to preserve food. A full freezer will remain colder longer.
• Notify your alarm company if you have an alarm system. Equipment can be affected by outages.
• Turn your appliances back on one at a time when conditions return to normal.
• Reset clocks, thermostats and other programmed equipment after power is restored.

PG&E also shares the following Generator Safety tips:

• While backup power can be helpful during an outage, it can also pose safety hazards when not used correctly. Improper use can risk damage to your property, or endanger the lives of you, your family, or PG&E crews who may be working to restore power.
• To support customers during Public Safety Power Shutoff events, PG&E has added portable power stations to its digital marketplace. Customers can compare models and prices at marketplace.pge.com/portable-power-stations.