Power coming back on for customers affected by SDG&E shutoffs

Rob Nikolewski, The San Diego Union-Tribune on Jan 24, 2025

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SAN DIEGO — While emergency crews battled a brushfire in the Otay Wilderness Area, high wind conditions in other parts of San Diego County improved enough Friday to enable San Diego Gas & Electric crews to inspect power lines and restore electricity to an increasing number of customers.

Overnight, as many as 20,000 customers living primarily in rural and backcountry communities east of Interstate 15 had their lights turned out as a precautionary measure to reduce the risk of fierce Santa Ana winds knocking overhead power lines down and possibly igniting a wildfire.

By 1 p.m., the number dropped to fewer than 2,300 as SDG&E workers on the ground and in the air patrolled areas and checked on the condition of utility equipment, such as power lines and transformers.

Crews moved into affected areas at the same time a red flag warning by the National Weather Service was lifted at 10 a.m.

One day earlier, winds of almost 90 miles per hour blew through canyons of the Cuyamaca Mountains in and around the Cleveland National Forest, leading to shutoffs in communities such as Alpine, Valley Center, Julian and Fallbrook.

But by early afternoon Friday, the gusts had eased into the 20 mph range according to readings at stations in the SDG&E weather center.