Crime & Safety

Murrieta's Power Shutoffs In Inspection Phase, Residents Await Return

Many Murrieta residents are seeing their power restored Friday after a lengthy Power Safety Shutoff Outage.

The wind has stilled, and the power is starting to turn back on.
The wind has stilled, and the power is starting to turn back on. (Rachel Barnes/Patch)

MURRIETA, CA —Southern California Edison is working to restore power after a lengthy outage, officials say. Lights would begin turning back on as early as Friday.

The Public Safety Power Shutoff event was due to high winds and the threat of wildfire, according to SoCal Edison. "While the most severe winds have started to abate, this weather is expected to continue through the early part of the weekend. Given the unsafe conditions for electric power restorations, customers may experience several days of outages. SCE will restore service as soon as it is safe to do so."

As of 7 a.m., Southern California Edison (SCE) crews were inspecting "a few circuits" to restore power to some Murrieta residents, the city of Murrieta shared. This is a circuit-by-circuit inspection and may be frustrating for some during the return to power process, the city said. Murrieta is part of a "major power outage," with multiple circuits affected by the Santa Ana weather event which wreaked havoc across Los Angeles this week.

Find out what's happening in Murrietafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

"Please understand each circuit is unique, and it will take time for crews to inspect to safely restore power. Restoration can be delayed if damage is found or aerial patrol is needed.

A full list of circuits affected is below.

Find out what's happening in Murrietafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

"Some portions of Murrieta may have power sooner than others. In addition, we are aware that other portions of the City remain under PSPS warnings. We continue to monitor the situation as SCE may decide to turn off power again depending on weather conditions.

"We know the impacts it is causing to city traffic signals and facilities. We are actively working to address safety concerns," they said.

While residents awaited the return to power, Edison experts maintained the outages amid gusting winds across the region. Even as the winds stilled, residents wondered at the return of their power and what to do with defrosted refrigerators and freezers full of now-spoiled food. Residents can file claims, however there are no promises to whether they'll be paid, according to SCE.

"Anyone who has lost food during the Power Safety Shutoff period can file a claim on the SCE website," spokesperson Gabrielle Ornelaz said.

If you need a warm place to stay, a place to charge your devices or a place to keep medicine cool, please visit our Library at 8 Town Square, Murrieta, CA 92562. The Library is open from 10 AM to 6 PM.

Seniors who need assistance can visit our Senior Center at 5 Town Square, Murrieta, CA 92562. The Center's hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Additional Resources:
SCE Community Resource Centers: https://www.sce.com/.../custom.../community-resource-centers

Warm Centers: Warm Centers are available in locations throughout Riverside County. To find a location near you, visit: https://capriverside.org/warm-centers

SCE Hotel Program is available for residents impacted by an extended power outage visit, https://www.sce.com/.../customer.../hotel-discounts

In addition, SCE has noted that if a customer needs additional services, they can call 2-1-1 or go to 211.org to learn about these resources.

Visit sce.com/psps for the latest information and outage maps. Outage specific customer service issues: 800-611-1911.

View this information on our website: https://www.murrietaca.gov/AlertCenter.aspx...

Murrieta Police Department Murrieta Fire & Rescue

As of 5:30 a.m. Friday, the following Murrieta circuits were without power or in the power shutoff consideration area:
  • BLITZ
  • BRUMFIELD
  • BUNDY
  • CARANCHO
  • CASCADE
  • DELUZ
  • ESCALA
  • GARBONI
  • GRUWELL
  • HARWOOD
  • HUGO
  • JERUSALEM
  • KELLER
  • KLEVEN
  • KULBERG
  • LACRESTA
  • MENIFEE
  • NUTMEG
  • PHOTON
  • PLACID
  • SEARAY
  • SHETLAND
  • STONEMAN
  • SUNDANCE
  • TACKLE
  • WAITE
  • WESTBROOK
  • WILDOMAR
  • ZEVO
  • SKINNER

For more information, visit the SCE Outage center online at www.sce.com/outage-center.

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