California outage prep for public safety power shutoffs, wildfire season and heat, covering alerts, medical needs, food safety and a go-bag plan.
- PSPS events are deliberate shutoffs to reduce wildfire risk and can happen even when your own area looks calm.
- Confirm contact details with your utility and register early if anyone relies on medical equipment.
- A closed fridge holds about 4 hours and a full freezer about 48 hours.
California households may lose power for a reason that does not apply in most of the continent: a utility deliberately turning off lines to reduce wildfire risk. These are called Public Safety Power Shutoffs, or PSPS. They happen in dry, windy conditions and can affect large areas, sometimes for more than a day. Alongside them come wildfire damage to lines, heat waves, and earthquakes.
The aim here is a plan that is quiet and simple: know the warning signs, sign up for alerts, protect medical needs and keep the basics ready.
What a PSPS is
The California Public Utilities Commission describes these shutoffs as a tool of last resort to reduce wildfire risk, and utilities are expected to carry them out safely. The usual triggers are low humidity, dry vegetation and strong winds, which are the conditions when a line fault could start a fire. Because the goal is prevention, you may lose power even when the sky is clear where you live and no fire is nearby.
Your electric utility decides whether to shut off lines in your area and should notify customers when it can. That makes the next step important: confirm your contact details with your utility so you can receive notifications by text, phone call or email. Check your utility's website for an outage and PSPS map before fire season starts.
Sign up and plan before fire season
- Update your phone number and email with your electric utility, and with your county or city alert system.
- Turn on wireless emergency alerts on your phone.
- If someone in your home depends on powered medical equipment, ask your utility what programs or notifications exist for customers with medical needs, and register early.
- Keep a battery or hand-crank radio. See our radio guide.
- Learn how to open an electric garage door manually and keep your car's fuel tank at least half full, since stations may be down.
For reporting tips and alerts, see alerts and outage reporting.
Food, water and daily life
In a planned shutoff you may know it is coming, but you may not know when power returns. Fill water containers, charge devices and plan meals that need no cooking. See best no-cook foods.
Official food safety guidance in both Canada and the US is the same. A closed refrigerator keeps food safe for about 4 hours. A full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours, or about 24 hours if half full, as long as the door stays closed. Discard perishable food that has been above 4 C (40 F) for more than 2 hours once power returns. Read our fridge and freezer food safety guide for the full rules, and fill empty freezer space with containers of ice or water ahead of time.
Wildfire and smoke
If a fire threatens your area, leave early when told to, and do not wait for power to fail. Keep a go-bag by the door with IDs, medications, chargers, a first aid kit, cash and pet supplies. Know two routes out. During smoke events, keep windows closed, use a clean-air room if you have a filter, and limit outdoor activity. See wildfire smoke and evacuation during an outage.
Heat and backup power
Hot days can follow a shutoff. Stay hydrated, use damp cloths, shade the house, and check on neighbours. See the heat wave guide.
For a multi-day outage, a battery station can cover phones, lights, a fan, a CPAP and possibly a small fridge for a time. Use what to plug in first and the outage planner to decide how much capacity you need, then browse the power station hub. Panels can recharge a station during a long outage if the sun is out, see charging with solar panels. Check your gaps with the readiness score.
Practice run
The best way to find gaps is to switch off the main breaker for an evening. Cook a no-cook dinner, find your lights in the dark, see how long your phone and power bank last and notice what you wish you had. Include the garage door, the gate, the well pump and any medical device. Write down what you learn and fix the top three items before fire season, then repeat once a year. Teach every adult and older child where the main breaker is and how to turn off gas safely if there is damage.
Quick answers
What is a PSPS?
A Public Safety Power Shutoff is when a utility turns off power lines to reduce wildfire risk during dry, windy conditions.
How long is food safe in a closed fridge?
About 4 hours. A full freezer keeps its temperature for about 48 hours (24 if half full) with the door closed.