Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
SoCal Edison warns customers to prepare for more power shut offs this year

Prepare for more power shutoffs when it’s hot and windy this year. That’s the message coming from Southern California Edison, the utility that serves an estimated 15 million people across the region.
The shutoffs are triggered by a combination of factors, including strong winds, dry vegetation and low humidity. The more widespread the extreme weather conditions, the more likely the power is to be cut, which means more people are likely to be affected.
“For 2025, we have increased the sensitivity of some of our settings, and it does have the potential to increase the frequency of [public safety power shutoff] events across our system,” said Thomas Brady, principal manager at Edison.
Brady explained that Edison lowered the threshold on its so-called fire potential index, a proxy for how receptive fuels are to fire spread.
In 2024, Edison shut down power 20 times across its territory, according to reports filed with the California Public Utilities Commission. More than 137,000 people lost power for an average of about a day and a half between August and December. Ventura, Riverside and Los Angeles counties saw the most customers affected.
More than 85% of 2024’s shutoffs were during red flag warnings. And when wind gusts averaged 51 mph and relative humidity was an extremely low 9%.
Edison has already conducted three shutoffs in 2025, and widespread dry conditions across the region mean fire season has already begun.
Power lines owned by Edison have caused deadly and destructive fires in California in recent years, including the Thomas and Woolsey fires. Investigations into whether their lines started the Eaton and Hurst fires in January are ongoing.
In addition to cutting the power, Edison says it’s working to prevent fires by burying 260 miles of power lines, and by installing 440 miles of covered conductors, intended to stop powerlines from sparking if they come into contact with trees and wind blown debris.
Want to know if you’re in or near an area that’s at high risk of a utility caused fire? There’s a map for that from the state Public Utilities Commission.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

-
The FCC voted to end E-Rate discounts for library hotspot lending and school bus Wi-Fi.
-
About half the Pacific Airshow’s 2025 lineup has been grounded because of the federal government shutdown.
-
USC says it’s reviewing the letter also sent to eight other prestigious schools nationwide. California's governor vowed that any California universities that sign will lose state funding.
-
Scientists say La Niña is likely, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a dry winter in Southern California.
-
According to a grand jury report the contractor took advantage of strained relations and political pressures to “force” the city to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to settle disputes.
-
Administrators say the bargaining units should be dismissed, or that they have no standing. One campus is going after the federal agency in charge of union activity.