PG&E expanded its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) into south San Luis Obispo County on Friday, cutting electricity to more than 8,600 customers in the rural community of Nipomo, California. High winds and critical wildfire conditions prompted the utility to proactively drop power in areas where transmission lines run through high fire‑threat terrain.

Schools stay open despite outage

Lucia Mar Unified School District announced that its campuses would remain open Friday morning even though the district lost power. The district’s officials told parents that staff were prepared to manage an unpowered school day safely. To mitigate the loss of climate‑control systems, the facilities team pre‑cooled classrooms before the shutoff, ensuring a comfortable learning environment despite the outage.

Impacted schools include Nipomo High School, Central Coast New Tech High School and Nipomo Elementary School. District administrators emphasized that instructional time would not be lost and that students would continue with their regular schedules.

Local businesses adapt

Businesses throughout Nipomo faced a range of logistical challenges. Many relied on backup generators to keep operations running, while others temporarily closed their doors until power could be restored. Some residents expressed frustration that local winds appeared calm, but PG&E officials reiterated that the risk comes from the main transmission lines that traverse rugged, fire‑prone terrain beyond the immediate community.

Community support measures

To help residents cope with the outage, the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services set up a community charging station at the Nipomo Library. The station was open from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, allowing residents to charge essential electronic devices.

Outlook for restoration

The high‑risk weather system driving the preventative shutoffs is expected to persist through Saturday. PG&E indicated that line inspections and power restoration efforts would begin Saturday evening, though full service is not anticipated until the utility can clear the lines of any potential debris.

While the shutdown caused inconvenience, the coordinated response from the school district, local businesses, and county emergency services highlights the community’s resilience and commitment to safety during wildfire threats.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.