Update: Power Outages Impacted Greater Sonora And Phoenix Lake Areas

Update at 11:50 am: All of the PG&E customers impacted by the earlier outages in Tuolumne County have been restored. It is believed that the outages were caused by a squirrel coming into contact with power infrastructure.

Updated at 11:40 am: The 1,893 customers without power in the Phoenix Lake area have now been restored, while the 2,641 in Sonora are still without electricity. PG&E is testing the lines in the other area and hopes to have power restored shortly. PG&E believes the cause of the outages was likely a squirrel that came into contact with the power infrastructure.

Updated at 9:29 am: PG&E is still investigating the cause of a pair of widescale power outages impacting a combined 4,400 customers around Sonora and Phoenix Lake.

Early indications from the company are that something may have possibly obstructed a line, turning the power off as a wildfire safety measure. It could have been a tree branch falling, or an animal. PG&E is currently patrolling the lines to identify the cause. Both outages are on the same circuit, so they were likely caused by the same thing. Once PG&E identifies the cause, and any potential repairs needed, the estimated restoration times will be updated.

Original story at 9:04 am: Sonora, CA — PG&E is investigating a pair of major power outages impacting thousands of customers in Tuolumne County.

At 8:36 am, 2,641 customers lost power in the Sonora and East Sonora areas. A minute later, at 8:37 am, 1,893 customers lost electricity in the Phoenix Lake region.

The cause of the outages is not immediately known. PG&E reports, “Our team is evaluating the electrical system to identify damaged sections and make necessary repairs in order to safely turn the power back on.”

PG&E says the Sonora outage has an estimated restoration time of 6:45 pm and the Phoenix Lake outage is anticipated to be restored by 2:30 pm.

We will pass along more information when it becomes available.