California utility could cut power to one million residents in effort to prevent forest fires

In an effort to prevent any fire outbreaks in a year already marked by major wildfires, up to one million California residents may have their power cut by a major state utility on Sunday in order to avoid sparks from downed wires during expected windstorms. 

Pacific Gas & Electric, a San Francisco Bay-area electricity provider, could shut power down to nearly half a million homes and businesses, representing a potential total of 1,000,000 individual Californians. 

The utility is prepping for the arrival of the infamous Diablo wind, a regular occurrence in the Bay Area in the spring and fall that is known to both start and exacerbate wildfires in the area. 

Residents living in the region's hills were warned to evacuate ahead of the Diablo wind to avoid getting trapped by any resultant fires.