Expect to see much more talk of how "Climate Change" is to blame for the increasing fires.

If you suggest that the complete incompetence and corruption of the state and PG&E officials may be the cause you will be labeled a "Climate Denier" and thrown in the gulag.

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PG&E’s power shutoff in California shows the inequities of climate risks

More than 500,000 are without power as California’s largest utility tries to avoid igniting another wildfire.

Pacific Gas & Electric, the utility serving more than 16 million people across California, shut down power to more than 500,000 customers early Wednesday morning with more outages scheduled in the coming days.

As of Wednesday evening, PG&E’s website was overwhelmed with traffic and the company was directing customers to an alternative site for more information about the outages. (Our sister site Curbed has a list of all the areas affected by the power shutdown).

The forced blackout is a blunt response to the growing risks of disastrous wildfires brought about by a complex combination of suburban sprawl, poor land management practices, and climate change. And it’s a stark example of the trade-offs that come from adapting to a warmer world.

The utility is calling this a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS); the concern is that high winds could knock trees over into power lines, shooting off sparks that hit a stretch of land primed to burn. This week, warm, dry weather, ample vegetation, and strong seasonal Diablo winds that can gust at 70 mph have created the “recipe for explosive fire growth,” according to the National Weather Service.

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