More Than 167,000 California Customers Lose Power as Fire Weather Brings Planned Shutoffs

More than 167,000 customers across California were without electricity on Friday, October 16, according to PowerOutage.us figures reported by The Weather Channel, as the first Santa Ana wind event of the fall raised the wildfire risk statewide. Some outages are planned safety shutoffs, where utilities cut power on purpose so their lines cannot spark a fire in high wind.

Gusts of 50 to 70 miles per hour were common on Friday morning below passes and canyons from Ventura and Los Angeles counties to the San Diego County mountains. The strongest gust hit 83 miles per hour at Magic Mountain, north of the San Fernando Valley. Red Flag Warnings cover parts of Southern California and the Sierra Nevada, and many run through Saturday evening. The Storm Prediction Center rates Southern California at a critical fire weather risk through Friday.

The north: PG&E warns 88,000 customers in 29 counties

Pacific Gas and Electric said about 88,000 customers in parts of 29 counties could lose power over the weekend. The company widened the plan to that size on Wednesday, October 14, adding about 25,000 customers and removing about 7,300 as the forecast changed. Its Northern California Red Flag Warning covers the Sierra Nevada, part of Napa County and parts of the Central Valley, and took effect on Thursday night, October 15. Conditions stay near critical through the weekend, with low humidity and gusts around 35 miles per hour.

Scott Rowe, a senior hydrologist with the National Weather Service, told USA Today this is the driest time of the year in California, after a long summer, and dry fuels can turn a spark into critical fire weather. Rowe noted that some of the most destructive fires in Northern California history happened in October and November.

The south: Edison puts about 258,000 customers on notice

Southern California Edison said about 258,000 customers in seven counties, including Los Angeles and Ventura, could have their power shut off over the weekend. The Red Flag Warning for most of Ventura and Los Angeles counties started at 6 a.m. on Thursday, October 15, and runs until 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 17. Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties are under a warning on Friday, October 16, from 3 a.m. to 6 p.m. Edison may cut power in Los Angeles, Ventura, Kern, Tulare, Fresno, Madera and Santa Barbara counties.

Edison said crews must inspect affected lines from end to end, on foot, from vehicles, by helicopter or with drones, and repair any damage before power comes back. Some shutoffs can outlast the wind itself.

Fires are already burning

The shutoffs come while firefighters work real fires. The Bryson Fire near Malibu spread fast on Friday and forced evacuation orders across a large part of the Santa Monica Mountains. Two other fires that started on Thursday brought evacuation orders in Azusa, north of Los Angeles, and at Camp Pendleton, The Weather Channel reported, citing The Associated Press. California has had a milder fire year than last year, with about 520 square miles burned against 816 at this point in 2025, according to Cal Fire figures cited by The Weather Channel. Officials urge people in warning areas to keep phones charged, know their evacuation routes and be ready to leave fast if a fire starts nearby.