PSPS power shutoffs explained: how they work and how long they last

Southern California’s worst fire weather comes with the Santa Ana winds in fall and early winter. When those winds hit dry brush, a spark from a power line can start a fire. A PSPS cuts power ahead of time to remove that risk. SCE calls it a last resort after other fire-prevention steps.

What triggers one

Utilities weigh wind speed, humidity, how dry the fuel is and what field crews report. A Red Flag Warning from the National Weather Service often shows up in the same days, but the utility makes its own call. It cuts specific circuits, not the whole region, so one street can lose power while the next has it.

How the warning works

SCE describes this sequence:

• A first notice about 2 days before a possible shutoff and a second about 1 day before.
• A notice when the shutoff is confirmed.
• A notice when power is restored. Crews inspect the lines before they re-energize them, which can take hours after the weather passes.

Notices come by text, email and voice call, and address-level alerts on sce.com are open to anyone. SCE says it may not be able to give notice in all cases, so do not count on a warning.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) sets minimum notice for the investor-owned utilities in Decision D.19-05-042: public safety partners 48 to 72 hours before, other affected customers 24 to 48 hours before, and all customers 1 to 4 hours before a shutoff where possible. The CPUC also requires utilities to run community resource centers that offer device charging, water and cellular service. Sign up for alerts through your utility account so the right phone and email are on file. Call your utility if the account shows an old number.

Who gets extra help

The CPUC’s Medical Baseline allowance is for people who rely on life support equipment or have certain conditions, including a compromised immune system. It gives extra electricity at the lowest rate. SCE says it first tries to reach enrolled customers by their preferred contact method and, if that fails, sends a technician to the door. There is no income test. Ask your utility how to enroll. Medical baseline does not keep your power on, so a household with oxygen or other equipment still needs its own backup.

Four SoCal events

Date	Where	What happened
October 30, 2019	SCE: Rancho Cucamonga, Etiwanda, San Bernardino, Sylmar, Palmdale and others	FOX 11 reported SCE cut 71,058 customers and warned another 304,154.
Thanksgiving, November 26, 2020	SCE: Santa Clarita Valley (ZIP codes 91321, 91387, 91390, 93510 and more)	Cuts began just after 8:15 a.m. Restoration was listed for Saturday, with a Red Flag Warning running to 10 p.m. Friday.
December 10, 2024	SCE: Banning Pass, Cabazon, Morongo Reservation	SCE cut 9,003 Riverside County customers, with 6,000 more at risk. Resource centers opened in Beaumont, Cabazon, Eastvale and other cities.
October 2 to 5, 2026	SDG&E: El Cajon, Poway, Fallbrook, Julian, Ramona, Valley Center	Nearly 35,000 customers in North, East and South County were at risk of shutoffs running from 5 a.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Monday, about 85 hours.

Read your own city page for local history. The Rancho Cucamonga and Poway pages list their own events. The CPUC’s post-event report for SCE’s January 17 to 27, 2025 event, counts 509,245 customers notified and 152,393 de-energized across nine counties.

Differences by utility

• SCE runs the largest program in the region and serves many inland and foothill cities. See San Bernardino County for cities that have appeared on its shutoff lists.
• SDG&E uses the same idea. In the October 2026 event it told customers that power would not be restored until conditions improve, and it opened resource centers with water, air conditioning, Wi-Fi and device charging. San Diego’s 211 line is available all day.
• LADWP has no formal PSPS program with fixed notice times. In January 2025, under Red Flag conditions, it said fire authorities can ask it to de-energize lines, and it told customers in its Tier 2 and Tier 3 high fire hazard areas to plan for outages that could last more than 48 hours. Crews patrol a circuit before re-energizing it.
• Other city utilities, such as Anaheim Public Utilities, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena and Riverside, set their own rules. Check your utility’s website for its shutoff policy and alert sign-up.

What this means for a home electrician

A long shutoff changes what people ask for: a generator inlet with an interlock, a transfer switch, a battery with a critical-loads subpanel. The backup power services page lays out the options, and generator vs battery backup compares them. Use the PSPS prep checklist for the steps to take before the season.