Areas near DHS being considered for Public Safety Power Shutoffs

The area near Desert Hot Springs along with over 22,000 other Riverside County residents are facing the potential for a Public Safety Power Shutoff.

This decision is made by Southern California Edison due to strong winds and high fire potential for the region.Southern California Edison states, “When there are potentially dangerous weather conditions in fire-prone areas, we may need to call a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event. During these events, we will proactively turn off power in high fire risk areas to reduce the threat of wildfires. Turning off our customers’ power is not something we take lightly, but PSPS events are one of the ways we can better ensure the safety of the public, our customers, and our employees.”

We spoke to residents in Desert Hot Springs and they understood the potential shut off was for their safety.

Mary Dean, a resident in Desert Hot Spring says, “Well with the winds and things it makes me feel safer because sparks from the power won’t be flying around to help with it.”

Some family members are worried about those with health issues without having air conditioning. One resident stated, “My daughter has a seizure disorder, and she can’t be in hot situations.”

Business owners in the area are also worried about their perishables. Earnest Draayer, ownder of Farmer in the Dale said, “We have milk and eggs… obviously when you put drinks in the cooler you don’t want to take them out, they lose flavor. But, we are hoping it will be for a couple hours and won’t be nothing major.”

Southern California Edison spokesperson Susan Cox stated, “And we really do understand that the decision to turn off customers power is a very difficult one… and it’s not something Southern California Edison takes lightly. We understand it’s inconvenient but public safety is our number one priority.”

To see if your city is on the list for a potential shutoff, you can visit their website: https://www.sce.com/safety/wildfire/psps

KESQ