PG&E has issued its first Public Safety Power Shutoff advisory of the season, for an outage expected to affect 153 Lake County customers near Morgan Valley and the Sonoma/Lake County line.Those customers–along with about 12,000 in other counties– could lose power beginning at 3:30 am tomorrow until the conditions are safe, with an estimated time of restoration tomorrow evening around 6 PM The Lake County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services staff have requested a PG&E Community Resource Center be made available in southern Lake County. Information will be available at the PG&E webpage and the “Response” tab at ready.lakecountyca.gov, once confirmed. Because the utility notifies customers beforehand, you should make sure your contact info for PG&E is correct, something you can also do online through the PG&E site. You can also call 2 1 1 with questions about the outage.
We’re facing a double threat this week that increases the risk of wildfires. The forecast is for dry weather and low humidity, conditions that are ideal for the smallest spark to turn into a major fire. The grass grew tall during the wet winter and now is dry, which has already led to a tough start to the fire season. Cal Fire says now is the time to be fire-safe and be ready to move if you are required to.
The heat could also rise to dangerous levels from now until the weekend. You should follow the usual hot weather precautions to protect yourself, your kids, and your pets.
Cal Fire is issuing a reminder about fireworks. They are illegal everywhere in Mendocino and Lake Counties, except in Lakeport, where you can legally use them until the Fourth, every day between 9 am and 10 pm. CalFire is urging those elsewhere to think twice before flouting the law. They say an errant spark could easily touch off a fire in these tinderbox conditions. They also fireworks can –and do–injure and kill if they are mishandled. The best way to stay safe according to CalFire is to leave the fireworks to the pros at one of the several legal shows set up around the area.
Authorities have identified a man found dead along the coast over the weekend. California State Parks and Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department launched a search operation Sunday after 70-year-old Robert Frost was reported missing near Van Damme State Beach, just south of Mendocino. His body was found around 3:30 Sunday afternoon.
