People and businesses located in four Redding communities identified as being at high-risk of wildfire breakouts now can be subject to power shutoffs.
The Redding City Council unanimously approved possible power shutdowns as part of the Redding Electric Utility’s formalized wildfire mitigation plan covering areas in the Tierra Oaks, Lake Boulevard, Sunset Terrace and Branstetter communities.
Customers located near those areas may also be affected if the electrical infrastructure supplying their electricity passes through a high-risk area requiring a power shutoff, said REU.
The newly-approved plan also outlines specific conditions that must be present before a “public safety power shutoff,” or PSPS, could happen, REU Director Nicholas Zettel told the council during its meeting on June 16.
REU said 1,866 residential customers and 88 commercial customers are located in the areas now subject to potential power safety shutoffs. In addition, 134 customers are low income and 19 are medically vulnerable, Zettel said.
Zettel said cutting power to communities to lessen wildfire risk would be “a last resort option,” depending on whether certain weather conditions are met over a six-hour period and how many local fire crew members could respond if a blaze broke out in the target communities, which have dense vegetation or overhead power lines.
According to REU, less than 5% of REU’s 48,000 residential and commercial customers are located in those high fire threat areas.
Part of the new plan also includes the city-owned REU offering $500 rebates to residential or commercial customers located in areas deemed at highest fire risk to help offset the purchase of power backup generators or batteries.
Any of the 2,000 customers located in “a potential PSPS area” would be eligible for the rebate, Bryan said. “Our goal is to eliminate areas from PSPS areas by doing additional wildfire mitigation. We want to eliminate the risk completely in areas, if possible.”
In addition, REU is offering a $100 “inconvenience credit” for customers who are directly impacted by a confirmed temporary PSPS power shutoff.
A new website — www.cityofredding.gov/psps — shows a map of areas the city has deemed most at risk of wildfire breakouts and temporary electricity cuts.
Customers can also type in their address to search whether their neighborhood is located in areas that could potentially be deenergized if conditions warrant.
The agency urged residents to make sure their contact information on the site is accurate, since advance notice about PSPS events will be given.
Locations of community resource centers and other assistance will also be included on the site.
Michele Chandler covers public safety, reports on trials happening in Shasta County Superior Court, writes about restaurants and handles whatever else comes up for the Redding Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. Accepts story tips at 530-338-7753 and at mrchandler@gannett.com. Please support our entire newsroom’s commitment to public service journalism by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Find out if you’re in a wildfire power shutoff risk zone in Redding
Reporting by Michele Chandler, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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By Michele Chandler, Redding Record Searchlight | USA TODAY Network
