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A6 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 30 OctOber 2019
Anger mounts as utility imposes more blackouts in California

By JANIE HAR and JOCELYN ing forward to it.
GECKER "I'm pretty sure it's not go-
Associated Press ing to be salvageable," she
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (AP) — said.
With no electricity for the PG&E, which is in bankrupt-
fourth straight day Tuesday, cy after its equipment was
chef and caterer Jane blamed for a string of di-
Sykes realized she would sastrous fires over the past
have to throw out $1,000 three years, including a
worth of food, including blaze that all but destroyed
trays of brownies, cup- the town of Paradise and
cakes and puff pastry. killed 85 people, has said its
She also had little hope of foremost concern is public
getting a good night's sleep safety.
— there was no way to run But Gov. Gavin Newsom
the machine she relies on and top utility regulators
to counter her apnea. have accused the com-
"I don't think PG&E really pany of mismanaging its
thought this through," she power system and failing
lamented. for decades to make the
Frustration and anger investments needed to
mounted across Northern make it more durable. He
California on Tuesday as and others have also com-
the state's biggest utility, plained that the utility has
Pacific Gas & Electric, be- botched the outages by
gan another round of wide- not keeping the public ad-
spread blackouts aimed equately informed.
at preventing its electrical PG&E said Monday its pow-
equipment from sparking A helicopter drops water as a wildfire called the Getty fire burns on Kenter Canyon in Los Angeles, er lines may have started
wildfires in high winds. Monday, Oct. 28, 2019. two smaller wildfires over
Millions of people have Associated Press the weekend in a part
been without power for of the San Francisco Bay
days as fire crews race to The outages have made tures were expected to some for those who need Area, where the utility had
contain two major wind- people like Linda Waldron, drop below freezing over- oxygen. Some of the trucks kept the lights on because
whipped blazes that have a mother of two who lives night in parts of Northern that resupply oxygen have it was not designated a
destroyed dozens of homes north of San Francisco in California. been caught in long delays high fire risk.
at both ends of the state: San Rafael, realize the "The hardest part about this for gas, and some patients Lafayette resident Vicki
in Sonoma County wine things we take for granted. for me has been making have been admitted to the McCaslin, 60, was evacu-
country and in the hills of She discovered she was sure I keep my son warm emergency room as a pre- ated during one of those
Los Angeles. low on gas and began to as it gets cold here," Smith caution, she said. fires and wasn't happy to
Across Northern Califor- panic as she drove around said. Mendocino residents Su- have the power back on
nia, people worried about looking for an open gas sta- In Mendocino County, of- zanne Lemley Schein and Tuesday morning.
charging cellphones and tion. She wound up driving ficials say they are strug- her husband, Glenn, lost "I'm scared to death," she
electric vehicles, finding to San Francisco, about 20 gling to keep the public in- power on Saturday and said at a Starbucks in La-
gasoline and cash, and miles (32 kilometers) away, formed because they can't have been spending the fayette, where people
keeping their food from before she found one. She trust the information they're time since playing back- have gathered to charge
spoiling and staying warm. also stocked up on cash af- getting from PG&E. gammon by candlelight phones over the past few
They donned headlamps ter realizing she had only $1 "The issue isn't even all of and going to bed early. days. "I don't want it on if
at home and parked their in her wallet. the power shutoffs," said They haven't been able to there's strong winds tonight.
cars outside inoperable au- "What if we needed to Carmel Angelo, the coun- rent out a studio on their The California Public Utilities
tomatic garage doors. evacuate and I had no gas ty's chief executive. "It's the property, or even offer it to Commission plans to open
Some ended up at centers in the car?" she said as her lack of communication. It's wildfire evacuees, because an investigation that could
set up by PG&E where peo- 5-year-old daughter and letting people think they're it has no power or water. result in fines against PG&E.
ple could go to power their 3-year-old son cavorted at getting their power back." She said she doesn't like The commission said it also
electronics and get free a playground. "I didn't even After the weekend shutoff, "the power that PG&E has plans to review the rules
water, snacks, flashlights think about gas and cash some people were led to over all of us," she said. "This governing blackouts, will
and solar lanterns. because I'm too busy with believe the power would has crippled us in a lot of look to prevent utilities from
"There's a hidden cost," these guys." come back Monday and ways." charging customers when
Sykes said. "Absolutely pub- In Placer County, Angel that the next round of out- Sykes, the caterer, is among the power is off and will
lic safety above all else, but Smith relied on baby wipes ages would avoid Men- some people in well-to-do convene experts to find
there's a big financial loss and blankets to keep her docino's most populous Marin County, north of San grid improvements that
for my profession, having 13-month-old son Liam areas. But Angelo said she Francisco, who have been might lessen shut-offs next
to throw away a lot of hard warm and clean. The fam- learned Tuesday that the without power since Satur- fire season.
work." ily has been without power outage was still in effect day. The state can't continue
PG&E said Tuesday's black- since Saturday night and because of two damaged She lives in San Rafael but experiencing such wide-
outs — the third round in cannot draw well water transmission lines dozens of works in San Francisco, so spread blackouts, "nor
a week — would affect without electricity. miles away Marin County. she has "civilization during should Californians be sub-
about 1.5 million people in She ran a cord from her If people knew the lights the day," but she said it is ject to the poor execution
29 counties, including 1 mil- neighbors' generator to would be out for a week eerie to drive along dark- that PG&E in particular has
lion still without power from keep her phone and tablet they could've planned ened highways. She hasn't exhibited," PUC President
a shut-off over the week- charged so the two could accordingly, she said. It's opened her freezer since Marybel Batjer said in a
end. watch movies. Tempera- been especially trouble- the outage and is not look- statement.q