LOS ANGELES (October 9, 2019)--With public safety power outages affecting utility customers in other areas of California, we want to assure our customers that LADWP does not turn off power to customers before or during wind events like the one forecast for Southern California over the next 48-hours.
Due to our location in a highly urbanized area with far fewer wildfire prone areas, we do not face the same threat of wildfire as many of the rural counties located in other service areas served by the larger investor-owned utilities. This is because our service area within the City of LA is highly urbanized with extensive fire suppression infrastructure in place and a Class 1 rated LA Fire Department. This is quite different than many of the remote or more rural areas served by investor-owned utilities such as PG&E and SCE. To put the service territories into context, PG&E serves an area approximately 70,000 square miles, Southern California Edison’s service area is 50,000 square miles, while the City of Los Angeles, served by LADWP, is approximately 465 square miles.
In advance of the forecasted Santa Ana wind event, we have crews at the ready to respond to any wind-related outages. Should outages occur, our crews will work around the clock to restore power to affected customers.
Customers are encouraged to sign-up for Community Power Outage alerts at www.ladwp.com/outages.
Downed Power Lines
- Never touch a downed or dangling wire or anyone or anything in contact with it. Always assume a downed line is still energized. Report any downed power lines immediately by calling 911.
- Don’t touch anyone in contact with a power source – you could be killed or seriously injured. If you find someone who has been injured, call 911 for help and tell them it’s an electrical injury.
- If a power line falls on your car, stay in the car and wait for help. If you must get out, make sure you do not touch the metal parts of the car and the ground at the same time. The safest method is to open the door, stand on the door sill and jump free without touching the car.
- Stay away from metal fences, such as a chain link fence – there may be a power line down and touching the fence somewhere beyond your sight.
- If there is damage to the connection from the power pole to your house, you should go to the electrical box and turn off the main switch or shut off the fuse switch and call LADWP at 1-800-DIAL-DWP (1-800-342-5397). Again, always assume electric lines are live.
- In case of an electrical emergency, stay calm and think before you act. Don’t become a victim while trying to help others. Call 911.
- If someone is shocked or not breathing, apply cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Then cover the victim with a blanket, keep their head low and get medical attention.
If Your Power Goes Out
- Always keep a flashlight and extra batteries nearby. Never use candles in a power outage or other emergency.
- Turn off and unplug any appliances or other electrical equipment. Unplug heat-producing items such as irons or portable heaters.
- Leave one light turned on so you will know when your power returns. It also helps prevent circuit overloading, which could delay restoration of service.
To report a power outage, call the LADWP 24-hour hotline at 1-800-DIAL-DWP (1-800-342-5397).
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