A Red Flag Warning is currently in effect through Friday, January 17th at 6:00 p.m. Los Angeles is in active fire response and local fire authorities may ask LADWP to de-energize power lines as a preventative measure, to help prevent wildfires and protect communities.
For our customers who live in Tier 2 and Tier 3 elevated and extreme high-risk fire areas, please be prepared for possible extended outages, potentially lasting over 48 hours. We join local authorities in prioritizing public safety and as such, extended outages may be necessary. If you are in a high-risk fire zone and you experience an outage, LADWP crews may not be able to automatically re-energize power lines serving your home or business. LADWP is taking these steps to protect public safety.
We are still in active fire response and fire authorities have applied fire retardant to facilities and equipment across the power system. Before crews can restore power, LADWP has to inspect and repair any equipment to ensure safe restoration and power reliability.
As a reminder, LADWP urges customers to use caution around any downed or dangling wires or poles. If you see a downed wire, always assume it is live. Do not assume a downed wire is a communication line, no matter its size. Never approach or touch any wire that is down or dangling and immediately report it by calling 9-1-1.
In preparation for forecasted high winds, LADWP recommends customers take the following steps:
- Keep your cellphone fully charged. Your cordless “landline” may also lose connectivity during a storm and a cellphone will also enable you to access information online.
- Keep a fully charged portable cell phone charger handy in case you need to charge any of your electronics while power is out.
- Keep a flashlight and extra batteries nearby. Never use candles in a power outage or other emergency.
If power does go out:
- Report outages online and track crew status at www.ladwp.com/outages or by calling 1-800-DIAL-DWP (1-800-342-5397).
- Switch off all lights, except for one, so you will know when your power has been restored.
- Keep your refrigerator closed to keep food cold for longer.
- Check on vulnerable friends and neighbors to make sure they are safe.
Customers can sign up to receive outage alerts via text or email, in English or Spanish, report an outage, as well as check the status of any power outage in LADWP‘s service area by going online at www.LADWP.com/Outages.
7PM OUTAGE UPDATE
As of 7PM, LADWP has restored power to all customers affected by last week’s windstorm, except those in the fire threat areas where fire authorities have requested that we de-energize our power lines. This affects approximately 17,000 customers in Tier 2 and Tier 3 High Fire Risk areas.
SUPPORTING THE FIRE RESPONSE
We want customers to know that we are taking every step available to us to support firefighting and restore water pressure to the Palisades area in advance of more high winds.
We have over six billion gallons of water available in four open-air reservoirs for aerial firefighting support. Encino and Hollywood reservoirs have already been heavily used. LADWP’s Hollywood Reservoir, Lower Stone Canyon and the Encino Reservoirs have been critical in protecting lives and property throughout the firefight. They will remain a critical part of the firefight and are fully available.
We are also supporting firefighting efforts with 19 water tankers, each holding 2,000 to 4,000 gallons, running continuously to supply water to firefighters. They function like mobile fire hydrants and will keep supplying water ahead of forecasted high winds until the fires are contained.
UPDATE ON RESTORING WATER PRESSURE TO PALISADES AREA
Over 200 employees are working to restore water pressure to the Palisades area. They must first shut off services that were destroyed by fire to restore system pressure by fixing the customer and distribution system leaks and close all fire hydrants that were left open.
They have shut off over 4,200 residential and commercial connections to homes and businesses and over 2000 remain. This will help boost water pressure throughout the system, restoring flow to our storage tanks at higher elevation and pipes in the Palisades area.
This process requires multiple steps at various elevations to charge the pipes with water, identify leaks, and then repair or cap services. Once enough repairs are made, pressure will be strong enough to refill the tanks.
A “DO NOT DRINK” NOTICE REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ZIP CODE 90272 AND ADJACENT AREA, REPLACING THE PREVIOUS BOIL WATER NOTICE FOR THE SAME AREA
A Do Not Drink Notice was issued Friday at noon for Pacific Palisades 90272 zip code and the area north of San Vicente Blvd under evacuation orders as required by state regulators for public health and safety.
People located in the 90272 Zip code and area north of San Vicente Boulevard should not drink or cook with the tap water until the notice is lifted. Residents are advised to limit the use of hot water and follow important instructions in the notice. We will inform our customers when the water is safe to drink.
LADWP will be distributing bottled water to affected customers at two locations:
- Westwood Recreation Center
- Tuesday, January 14 until further notice
- 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Adjacent to the Brentwood Country Club
- Tuesday, January 14 through Wednesday, January 15
- 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
More information about the DO NOT DRINK notice and important instructions can be found at www.ladwp.com.
LADWP REPRESENTATIVES MAY COME TO YOUR DOOR TO CHECK ON YOU AND YOUR POWER
During the current wildfire response, LADWP representatives are going door-to-door in many affected neighborhoods to check on customers and see if their power is back on, or if they’re still waiting for power to be restored. We are aware that scammers may use this opportunity to take advantage of customers in their vulnerable state. LADWP personnel will be wearing their uniforms or vest and will always carry a LADWP badge.
Please make sure to check LADWP badges and ask for further identification if you have any doubts as to the legitimacy of the person or persons at your door.
Safety is our No. 1 priority, during challenging times like these and always. Please reach out at 1-800-DIAL-DWP if you have any questions or need further assistance.
PAUSE ON CUSTOMER BILLING
To our customers whose lives have been devastated by these fires, we are here to support you and make sure that your utility bill is not a burden at this time. Please reach out to us at 1-800-DIAL-DWP so we can assist you in managing your bill. We know you have much more important needs right now, and we will be here when you are ready.
For anyone whose properties have been destroyed, we understand that during this extremely difficult time, receiving billing notices can be especially stressful. We are pausing billing and reminder notices to areas directly affected by the fires and we encourage any customer experiencing hardship as a result of the fires to reach out to us. We will have more information on additional assistance for our impacted customers soon.
Follow LADWP via X, formerly known as Twitter, (@ladwp) and on Nextdoor , potential outage information and updates.
For updates on the current LADWP wind and wildfire response effort, visit www.ladwpnews.com.
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