Zaca Fire may cut city's power

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

Utility officials are worried the rapidly spreading Zaca Fire in Santa Barbara’s backcountry may cause power outages in the Santa Barbara area by damaging the local power grid.
Southern California Edison (SCE) officials said the fire is several miles away from a major high-voltage transmission line corridor that supplies much of the area’s electricity. With a recent shift in winds, however, they are hopeful that there won’t be any disruption to the local power supply.

“As long as the wind is pushing the fire toward the wilderness area and not toward Santa Barbara, those lines are not in danger,” SCE Spokesman Gil Alexander said.
Alexander compared the power lines to a freight train, delivering what he called “bulk power supplies” from power plants to local substations, which convert the electricity for household use. While he declined to estimate how long power might be out if the wind shifted back and those lines were destroyed, he described them as “critical to supplying the needed power in Santa Barbara and the surrounding communities.”
SCE officials dispatched a team of fire assessment and advance personnel to the scene to monitor the situation. Alexander said despite the dramatic shift in weather, those workers are remaining in the area.
“We are preparing to move all necessary resources into the area to restore service as quickly as possible should the fire threaten power lines, poles and other equipment,” Ron Ferree, director of grid operations for SCE, said in a statement.
Utility officials recommended that local residents make sure they have a battery-powered radio and flashlight and check their battery supplies. They also warned against relying on candles for lighting during a power outage, as they pose a fire hazard.