California fire threatens power lines

MCCLOUD, Calif. – A lightning-caused wildfire in northern California was 60 percent contained Saturday, but firefighters worried that wind gusts up to 30 mph could blow the flames into major power lines delivering electricity to the state.

“It really depends on what the weather does,” said Mike Giannini, a spokesman for a team of federal, state and local firefighters battling the blaze near the Oregon state line. “If the weather cooperates, then we’ll be in better shape. If we get a significant wind event, there’s an increased possibility it could affect the transmission lines.”

The Northern California blaze was a half-mile from California-Oregon Transmission Project power lines and three-quarters of a mile from lines used by the Western Area Power Administration and Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Giannini said.

The California Independent System Operator, which manages most of the state’s power grid, said Friday that it had contingency plans to reroute electricity around the transmission lines if they failed or had to be shut down because of the fire.

The lines together carry about 4,200 megawatts between Washington’s Bonneville Power Administration and California.

The blaze had charred 507 acres in mountainous terrain about 200 miles north of Sacramento and 70 miles northwest of Redding.