High winds trigger public safety power shutoffs in South County.

On Thursday, June 19, the National Weather Service announced elevated fire risk due to high winds and dry conditions in parts of inland Monterey and San Benito counties. The moderate-risk fire weather is forecast to continue through Saturday, June 21, with wind gusts between 20-30 mph. 

As a precautionary measure, Pacific Gas & Electric has halted electricity at various locations in South Monterey County in public safety power shutoffs meant to reduce wildfire risk.

According to PG&E's outage map, about 1,300 residents are currently affected in mostly rural areas outside of cities, from Soledad south to the county line. (You can check the interactive map here.)

For the duration of the public safety power shutoff, local PG&E community resource centers will be open from 8am to 10pm. The centers are at the following locations:

Soledad: Soledad Community Center, 560 Walker Drive

King City: Salinas Valley Fairgrounds, 625 Division St. 

Lockwood: San Antonio Union School, 67550 Lockwood Jolon Road

Greenfield: Patriot Park Community Center, 1351 Oak Ave.

Carmel Valley: Carmel Valley Community Park/Carmel Valley Community Youth Center, 25 Ford Road

The centers will remain open until the public safety power shutoff ends. At the centers, residents will have access to water, snacks, Wi-Fi, charging devices, restrooms, limited medical support and more.