Portland General Electric will initiate a “public safety power shutoff” for approximately 5,000 customers located in the high-risk fire zone near Mount Hood, the utility announced Monday evening, as Clackamas County and the greater Portland metro area braces for a predicted high wind event of historic proportions.
PGE called the proactive safety outage a “last resort to help protect people, property and the environment” in the face of extreme fire danger conditions and high winds forecast for the area.
The company expects to begin the process of turning off power Monday evening for customers and visitors in heavily forested communities along Highway 26, from Alder Creek and Brightwood to Government Camp. The utility anticipates the outage may last between 24 and 48 hours, subject to repair times for any damage that may occur.
The high winds are also expected to cause unplanned outages across PGE’s service area. PGE crews are standing by prepared to begin restoration work as quickly as safety allows.
For more information about the public safety power shutoff, including a map of the affected area, visit PortlandGeneral.com/wildfire. Real-time information about unplanned outages can be found on PortlandGeneral.com/outage.