Berkeley Hills residents navigate PG&E shutoffs as thousands remain without power
BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) -- Thousands of Bay Area customers remained without electricity Thursday as PG&E's largest Public Safety Power Shutoff event in years continued amid heightened wildfire concerns, though some East Bay customers could see power restored earlier than expected.
PG&E said about 6,300 East Bay customers could have service restored as early as 4 p.m. Friday, nearly a day ahead of the utility's original estimate. Crews were expected to begin inspecting power lines Friday, weather permitting.
As of Thursday afternoon, approximately 11,300 Bay Area customers remained without power, while more than 68,000 customers across PG&E's broader service area were affected by the planned outages.
The shutoffs began Wednesday evening as strong Diablo winds, low humidity and dry vegetation elevated wildfire concerns. PG&E says Public Safety Power Shutoffs are used to reduce the risk of power lines sparking wildfires during dangerous weather conditions.
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In the Berkeley Hills, dozens of homes along Grizzly Peak Boulevard were among those left in the dark.
For Susie Bailey, the outage has been inconvenient but manageable thanks to rooftop solar panels and a backup battery system.
"I understand why they're doing it, but it's hard on us," Bailey said.
Some residents questioned whether local conditions warranted an extended outage, noting the lack of strong winds in their immediate neighborhood.
Berkeley Assistant Fire Chief Colin Arnold said residents should not underestimate the threat.
"This is a good reminder of conditions that could get worse," Arnold said.
Arnold, who oversees the Berkeley Fire Department's Wildland Urban Interface Division, pointed to the 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm as a reminder of the region's vulnerability.
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"We are intimately aware of the risk we face here in the Berkeley Hills," Arnold said. "We have a handful of fires up in the Berkeley hills every year. It is an ongoing and recurring event for us."
Elsewhere in the Oakland Hills, some residents expressed frustration that neighborhoods with underground power lines were still included in the shutoffs.
Richard Grassetti, who has lived in the area for more than two decades, said residents paid to underground utilities after the 1991 fire and continue to maintain defensible space around their homes.
"We've done our part. (PG&E) needs to do their part," Grassetti said.
PG&E said neighborhoods with underground lines can still be affected because they remain connected to portions of the electrical grid that rely on overhead equipment in higher-risk areas.
"And so while they may be underground in your neighborhood or you may not have wind in your neighborhood, it may be connected to an area that is experiencing these weather events," PG&E spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian said.
The outages have presented challenges for residents with medical and family needs.
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Schuyler Bailey said his son, who lives across the street and relies on a CPAP machine, planned to stay with him until power returns.
"We're moving him in with us tonight," Bailey said.
Caroline Thomas said she and her family, including their young son, considered staying in a hotel during the outage.
Still, many residents said they understand the reasoning behind the shutoffs.
"If this is going to prevent a fire, everybody will be safe in the neighborhood," Thomas said. "It's only two days."
PG&E has opened about 40 Community Resource Centers across its service area, offering charging stations, water, snacks and outage information to affected customers.
The utility said power will be restored once weather conditions improve and crews complete safety inspections of affected equipment. Customers can check outage status and restoration estimates through PG&E's outage website or call 211 for additional assistance, including support for seniors and people with medical needs.
