SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - As winds calmed Friday night, power was restored to hundreds of San Diego Gas and Electric.
The planned outages were sparked by a National Weather Service-issued Red Flag warning that expired at 6 p.m. Friday.
Cal Fire officials stressed the need for locals to take basic preventative steps, such as avoiding lawn-mowing during high winds; steering vehicles clear of extremely dry vegetation, where sparks might touch off a blaze; limiting campfires to designated places and looking out for suspicious behavior that could be arson-related.
COUNTY POWER OUTAGES
In response to the wildfire warning, San Diego Gas & Electric this week alerted about 30,000 of its customers that it may suspend their electrical service at times over the period to reduce combustion hazards posed by power lines.
Based on improved weather conditions, however, SDG&E lowered its forecast Thursday afternoon of how many customers could be affected by pre-emptive power-downs to roughly 18,000 homes and businesses -- 40% fewer than the original estimate.
Some 400 customers were affected, the majority of them in Live Oak Springs.
MAP: County communities affected by planned outages
Community resource centers for affected communities were open Friday in Campo at Golden Acorn Casino, 1800 Golden Acorn Way, and at the Descanso Branch Library, 9545 River Dr.
The utility advised those who received the outage notification to be prepared by making sure they had such emergency supplies as water, food, flashlights, extra batteries and cellphone battery packs.
City News Service contributed to this report
