PG&E warns of possible power shutoffs for parts of Bay Area through Saturday to prevent wildfires

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KGO) -- PG&E has issued an alert for possible "Public Safety Power Shutoffs" from Thursday through Saturday for three Bay Area counties due to high winds and dry conditions.

In the Bay Area, that alert could affect some people in Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties.

Sara Won and her 4-year-old son Cal are staying cool in the shade and passing the time at Civic Park in Walnut Creek.

"We did some swings, we played with our car, we rolled down the slide," said Won.

It was a hot day.

"I pretty knew it was going to be more than 90 degrees today," said Won.

MORE: What you can do right now to prepare for a PG&E power shut down

PG&E says it could be shutting off power to parts of the Bay Area in Alameda, Contra Costa, and Santa Clara Counties as a precautionary measure to prevent wildfires.

"Things like dry conditions, windy conditions, vegetation on the ground. that make us really concerned about the possibility of a catastrophic wildfire. so if we see enough of those factors come together, we will turn off the power proactively," said Tamar Sarkissian, a spokesperson for PG&E.

People ABC7 News talked to on Wednesday have mixed feeling about the power shutoffs.

"Sure. It makes sense to prevent a wildfire. That they might shut it off," said Walnut Creek resident Robert Alexander Sharon.

"Just having your power turned off, and reaching, you don't want to open your refrigerator, the spoilage and things like that," said Julie Doolin, a resident of Bay Point. "It is an inconvenience. But I do realize it is very necessary for places that are close to the fire zones."

"My mom lives in Vacaville. She has solar panels. She has a Tesla battery. She has a lot of appliances that she needs to be running so. I know it causes her a lot of stress and anxiety over the rolling blackouts," said Won.

MORE: Tips for how to help and stay safe during and after a wildfire

Stephanie Pfister said she endured PG&E power shutoff when it was more than 100 degrees.

"You just have to get fans to try and keep yourself cool. And then you worry about your pets," said Pfister.

MORE: CAL FIRE seasonal training academy begins early due to wet winter, increased fire fuels

PG&E says it's working to minimize the impacts of power shutoffs to customers.

"Because this is planned, we are able to notify customers in advance so they can be prepared for it. At this point, this is something we are just monitoring and have not called the PSPS," said Sarkissian.

PG&E says the potential planned outage would affect about 1000 customers in the Bay Area.

That includes about 650 customers in Alameda County, 275 in Contra Costa County and about 50 customers in Santa Clara County.