California Homes and Businesses without Power Reach 400,000
The number of California homes and businesses without electricity has surged to over 400,000, as multiple wildfires rage uncontrollably around Los Angeles. At least five people have been killed, and hundreds of homes destroyed, prompting over 100,000 people to evacuate. Southern California has been hardest hit, with nearly all outages reported in the region.
Southern California Edison (SCE), the primary outage management system, has been offline since Tuesday. According to SCE, approximately 413,639 customers are currently without power, while 453,872 are under a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) watch. The utility company warned that customers may experience several days of outages until it is safe to restore service.
Power outages are typically implemented to reduce the risk of airborne objects sparking additional fires when they strike power lines. A company spokesperson implored the public to stay away from any downed lines. The Palisades wildfire has burned over 15,000 acres, while other fires have erupted in neighboring areas, forcing fresh evacuations. Shares of SCE fell as much as 13.8% following the power outage, its biggest one-day percentage drop since the COVID-19 pandemic.
