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Dangerous winds prompt Southern California Edison to shut off power to thousands of customers. Here’s where

A plane drops water on the Palisades fire.
A Super Scooper plane drops water on the Palisades fire Tuesday in Pacific Palisades.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Strong winds in Southern California have brought severe fire danger and widespread power outages across Southern California.

The map below shows which areas are currently without electricity due to planned power shutoffs — aimed at reducing fire starts from electrical equipment — and which are under consideration for power cuts.

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The map on Edison’s website is updated in near-real time, though a spokesman said significant events could result in some delays. The utility encourages customers to enter their address for more information about their outage, such as the duration of increased fire risk.

Public safety power shutoffs are aimed at mitigating threats, often in areas where its equipment could be at high risk of sparking a wildfire. The utility’s meteorological teams use their own weather models and government data to weigh possible shutoffs. They monitor not only wind speeds and gusts, but the presence of windblown debris and vegetation dryness, using hundreds of weather stations and sensors.

Parts of Southern California will be slammed with destructive winds leading to possible power outages and elevating the possibility of wildfires. How to prepare for blackouts

“We always try to turn off power in the most localized way possible,” Jeff Monford, a spokesperson for Southern California Edison, said. “We know that this is not just an inconvenience. We know these outages are actual hardships, and turning off the power really is the measure of last resort.”

Although Edison tries to give customers notice of a shutoff three days in advance, that is not always possible, Monford said.

“This is a phenomenon of the increasing effects of climate change on weather. We have more weather extremes that can change more quickly than we might be accustomed to,” he said.

If you see a downed power line, Monford added, assume it is live, stay at least 100 feet away and call 911.

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