MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. — The Latest on power outages sparked by wildfire risks in California’s Sierra Nevada (all times local):
10:10 p.m.
Thousands of people in California’s Sierra Nevada are still without electricity because of wildfire danger.
Southern California Edison cut power Monday afternoon to nearly 14,000 customers in Mono County and about 700 in Inyo County because of concerns that high winds could knock down power lines and spark blazes.
Although the winds eased Monday night, Edison says it won’t restore power until the lines are determined to be safe.
There’s no time estimate but the outage could last into Tuesday morning.
Some of the areas affected include Mammoth Lakes, Owens Valley, an area near Lee Vining and near Tuolomne (Too-WAHL’-uh-mee) Meadows in Yosemite National Park.
State regulators granted permission this year for utilities to cut power to avoid catastrophes like last year’s blaze that killed 86 people in Northern California.
___
4:20 p.m.
Southern California Edison has shut off electricity to more than 14,000 customers in the Sierra Nevada because of high winds that could knock down power lines and pose a wildfire threat.
The utility cut power Monday afternoon to areas of Mono and Inyo counties, The National Weather Service issued a warning in the area until 9 p.m. for winds that could gust to 50 mph.
The outage affects nearly 14,000 people in Mono County and about 700 in Inyo.
State regulators in May approved allowing utilities to cut power to avoid the chance of catastrophic wildfires, like one that killed 86 people and largely destroyed the Northern California town of Paradise.
The Associated Press
