At a Glance
- The state's power grid operator issued a Level 2 emergency alert Wednesday.
- Power demand reached a record high Tuesday.
- The weather is fueling deadly wildfires.
Californians dodged another potential round of rolling blackouts by conserving energy Wednesday, according to the state's power grid operator.
Residents were being asked again on Thursday to conserve electricity in order to ease strain on the state's power grid amid a record heat wave that is fueling deadly and explosive wildfires.
The state will be under a flex alert between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. Thursday evening, which lays out specific ways residents should conserve power between. That includes turning off unnecessary lights and setting thermostats no lower than 78 degrees.
It is at least the eighth flex alert in as many days.
On Wednesday, the state's grid operator issued a level 2 emergency alert at about 4 p.m.
"Consumers are strongly urged to cut back on power use," the California Independent System Operator, known as CAISO, said in a tweet
(MORE: California, West Heat Wave Sets Staggering Records)
A level 2 alert paves the way for the grid to gain more supplies and encourage lower demand, according to a news release. The next alert, level 3, signals that rolling blackouts are imminent.
California managed to avoid widespread blackouts Tuesday night, even as the state set a new record for electricity demand .
CAISO announced around 7 p.m. local time Tuesday that power demand had surged to 52,061 megawatts, a new all-time record. But just an hour later the agency announced that widespread rolling blackouts had been avoided in large part because of the conservation efforts of Californians.
(MORE: Fairview Fire In Photos)
Earlier on Tuesday, the agency issued an emergency alert warning that electricity demand could reach all-time highs and that rolling blackouts might be needed to cope with that demand.
Even though widespread blackouts were avoided, at least three municipalities in Northern California briefly lost power Tuesday night, according to The Los Angeles Times. It's unclear exactly why that was the case, given that California's power grid operator told the Los Angeles Times that they "did not order rotating outages."
Temperatures reached all-time record highs in several locations across the state Tuesday, including in Sacramento (116 degrees) and San Jose (109 degrees).
The heat was helping fuel multiple wildfires that killed at least four people and prompted multiple evacuation orders.
Two fires exploded in size on either end of the state Wednesday and were threatening thousands of homes.
The Mosquito Fire in Northern California grew from just over one square mile in the morning to nearly 9 square miles by late evening. New evacuation orders were issued Wednesday afternoon for areas burning in El Dorado and Placer counties.
The Fairview Fire in Southern California more than doubled in size Wednesday in just a short period of time and is now nearly 30 square miles in size. Two bodies were found Monday in the fire burning southeast of Los Angeles in Riverside County. With several evacuation orders in place, more were issued morning.
The fire also prompted a boil water notice for residents of at least 50 homes.
The fires were part of at least 16 active wildfires that started over the past week, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Six hundred miles to the north, the Mill Fire in Siskiyou County also claimed at least two lives. The fire had burned about 6.5 square miles and was 65% contained Wednesday morning. More than 115 structures were destroyed and dozens of others damaged.
A larger blaze called the Mountain Fire was burning nearby. It had scorched more than 18 square miles and destroyed at least four buildings. As of Wednesday morning the Mountain Fire was 30% contained.
Much of California is under excessive heat warnings through Thursday. With highs well into the triple digits, the National Weather Service says anyone is at a very high risk of heat stress for illness.
Most of the state also remains in ongoing drought conditions.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
