The SCE began ordering so-called public safety blackouts on Thanksgiving Day.
By 5 a.m. Friday morning, 2,050 customers in LA County, 1,815 in Orange County, 3,388 in Ventura County, and 1,393 in San Bernardino County were without power — a total of more than 8,600 affected customers — read on the utility’s website.
The utility said 100,000 customers continued to be at risk from the power outage on Friday, including an additional 24,266 customers, mainly in northern LA County and 3,062 customers in Orange County.
The red flag warning went into effect on Thursday at 2 p.m., and is expected to last until 6 p.m. Saturday in the mountains of Los Angeles County and the Santa Clarita Valley.
According to the National Meteorological Service, gusts of wind began on Thursday afternoon, with gusts raging at 75 mph on the Magic Mountain Truck Trail.
It is expected to reach 65 mph in the mountains and Santa Clarita Valley on Friday.
The shutdowns can continue until 3 p.m. Friday, the SCE said.
“The SCE doesn’t turn off the power based solely on weather forecasts – rather based on the actual conditions in the affected areas,” said Jeff Monford, an SCE employee who says the power will return to affected customers “Hopefully within 24 hours.”
The closures are designed to reduce the risk of fire from electrical equipment when strong winds are expected. Several major fires in the state have been connected to electrical equipment.
SCE has set up mobile resources and generators for customers to use in the affected areas.
Customers can view a map of current SCE outages at www.sce.com/wildfire/psps or call 1-800-655-4555.
Customers can also sign up for alerts to let them know if they turn off the power.
An Edison spokesman told Eyewitness News that if a client’s home is being considered for a power outage, it is worth preparing a Thanksgiving meal sooner than planned.
The utility typically notifies customers 48 hours in advance of a power outage.
“If the power is turned off, we will restore power as soon as weather conditions allow, and the crew will inspect the electrical wiring to confirm if it is safe to restore power,” Edison said.
One of the biggest, most devastating fires in California’s history is connected to electrical equipment.
Bobcat Fire, possibly caused by tree branches colliding with SoCal Edison equipment
Easy Fire: Failure of SoCal Edison Equipment Causes 1,860 Acres of Burning in Ventura County
Silverado Fire: SCE equipment examined as a possible source
The City News Service contributed to this report.
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