Edison issues power warning

DAILY SOUND STAFF REPORT

Southern California Edison (SCE) wants to remind customers that the wildfire continuing to burn near Goleta could cause power outages, as it did Wednesday night, and the utility urges customers to prepare for that possibility. Outages have already been reported today in the Goleta area.

If outages occur, it is critical that customers living in the southern half of Santa Barbara County conserve energy because it could provide power to more customers in the area. SCE personnel are standing by in the event of any future outages.
On Wednesday night, more than 81,000 customers lost power when smoke and ash from the wildfire impacted transmission lines, causing the outage.

Safety Tips In Preparation for and During Power Outages
• If you are without electrical service in your home or business, leave only one light on to serve as a signal that electrical service has been restored in your area. This will help limit stress on the electrical system when SCE restores service.
• Turn off and unplug any unnecessary electrical equipment, especially sensitive electronic equipment.
• Do not rely on candles for lighting during a power outage because they could pose a fire hazard; please use flashlights.
• Do not cook indoors with charcoal or other fossil fuels not meant for indoor use. They could create deadly fumes if used indoors.
• If possible, stay out of areas severely impacted by the fire damage. Traffic signals could be inoperative, SCE equipment such as poles could be blocking streets and utility crews could be in the area making repairs.
• If you see downed lines, please call SCE and report it to the police and fire departments immediately.
• Back-up power arrangements should be made in advance for anyone dependent on medical equipment that uses electricity.