About 13,000 customers in Northern California woke up without electricity Friday after Pacific Gas and Electric shut off power to prevent its equipment from sparking wildfires amid dry weather and str

Winds in Northern California have reached up to 65 miles per hour, leading to dangerous fire conditions with extremely dry air.

PG&E in recent years has imposed planned power shutoffs in the face of dire wildfire weather. The utility company’s equipment has been blamed for sparking some of the worst fires in state history, including the 2018 Camp Fire that devastated Paradise, and PG&E Corp. has been found liable for billions of dollars worth of destruction.

During a diablo wind, the air is so dry that relative humidity levels plunge, drying out vegetation and making it ready to burn.