Over 13,500 IE Residents May Lose Power: What To Know About Impending Safety Shutoffs

INLAND EMPIRE, CA — Southern California Edison has cut power to over 500 customers in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties on Wednesday, amid a heatwave and slight Santa Ana wind event.

On Wednesday morning, a total of 586 SCE customers in San Bernardino and nine customers in Riverside County remained without power, according to the utility.

An additional 8,206 San Bernardino businesses and residents remained on alert of potential Power Safety Shutoffs through the wind event.

Meanwhile, 5,497 Riverside County residents and businesses remained on alert of potential Power Safety Shutoffs. Customers in the area of San Jacinto, Beaumont, Jurupa Valley, and north toward Grand Terrace, Colton, Fontana and Rancho Cucuamonga were in jeopardy of shutoffs.

A PSPS occurs when SCE temporarily shuts off power for a period of time to reduce the risk of a wildfire caused by utility equipment. Dangerous fire weather conditions — which include strong winds, dry vegetation, and low humidity — drive PSPS events, SCE reports.

Most of the customers currently without power are located in Ventura County. As of early Tuesday afternoon, the shutoffs became focused in San Bernardino County, in mountain and pass communities, which remain under warning as of midday Wednesday.

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Many inland Southern California communities are under a heat advisory through 7 p.m. Wednesday, with hot weather lingering through Friday, according to data from the National Weather Service.

The warming will bring periods of gusty Santa Ana winds along and below the coastal slopes of the mountains through Wednesday, with stronger gusts to 35 to 45 mph, according to the NWS.

Read more:

Dry Heat Wave, Gusty Winds To Bake SoCal This Week, Raising Fire Concerns