PG&E briefly shut off power to 48,000 residents as wildfires continue to threaten California's power grid
CBSN
The nation's largest utility provider, Pacific Gas & Electric, shut off power for approximately 48,000 California customers Tuesday night as part of a planned safety measure in response to worsening wildfire weather conditions, the company said. PG&E said Wednesday afternoon that it has begun restoring power in some locations, and that remaining customers will have their power restored on Thursday.
"It's never an easy decision to turn off the power for safety, but it is the right thing to do to keep everyone safe," PG&E executive vice president Marlene Santos said in a Tuesday statement. The company said parts of 13 counties were affected by the Public Safety Power Shutoffs, which are issued when there is severe weather that may affect power lines and spread wildfires.Ashley White received her earliest combat action badge from the United States Army soon after the first lieutenant arrived in Afghanistan. The silver military award, recognizing soldiers who've been personally engaged by an attacker during conflict, was considered an achievement in and of itself as well as an affirming rite of passage for the newly deployed. White had earned it for using her own body to shield a group of civilian women and children from gunfire that broke out in the midst of her third mission in Kandahar province. All of them survived. She never mentioned the badge to anyone in her battalion.