Residents, who are primarily affected by blackouts, express concern about ongoing events

At least once a month, electrical power to residents of the Cali Lake RV community, located in a quiet canyon on a rural part of Soledad Canyon Road, was cut off due to Edison’s public safety blackouts in Southern California.

Generators have helped some of the 285 people living in the Canyon Country RV, but not all, ultimately affecting internet connectivity and food receipts for some families during the pandemic, according to resident and general manager George Freeman.

“There are people here who (had their groceries bad) because they don’t have the luxury of having a generator,” he said. “For example, some people’s lifelines are their internet connection because there’s no phone service at all out here in the Canyon.”

Edison has told them they can be reimbursed for food and generators, but the process isn’t easy, according to Freeman.

Cali Lake RV Resort on Tuesday, October 1, 2019. Dan Watson / The Signal

“If we can get our receipt and forward it to (Edison) they would give us a certain amount of money back, but it has to jump through so many hoops. It’s amazing, ”he said.

Acton and Agua Dulce have seen five PSPS events since mid-October, and the areas are facing the option to turn power on and off again next week after an expanded red flag warning. The national weather service issued the warning for the Santa Clarita, San Fernando and Ventura valleys by 4:00 p.m. on Saturday due to conditions favorable to critical fire behavior.

As of Friday, portions of several postcodes in the Santa Clarita Valley were either shut down or considered. SoCal Edison officials confirmed that surveillance will continue at midnight Friday through Wednesday, January 20, but the utility company would attempt to restore power between people’s outages.

“We will make every effort to temporarily restore power to the affected customers, even for a short time, provided weather conditions allow and the power supply is secure,” said Edgie spokesman Reggie Kumar, adding: If the weather conditions ease, we can Restore power supply and then switch off again. ”

SoCal Edison started its public safety shutdown program about three years ago to shut down electrical circuits in areas where weather conditions pose a high risk of forest fires.

William Ivan, a member of the Edison Community Outreach Team in Southern California, shows the items in a kit to powerless customers arriving at the Edison Community Outreach Resource Center in Auga Dulce on Friday, 011520. Dan Watson / The Signal

Turning it on and off has frustrated owners who say they keep paying despite ongoing events. Among them is Cali Lake owner Stewart Silver.

“Our average bills are $ 25,000 per month. That’s what we spend on electricity every month, ”he said. “I wouldn’t mind working something out if I knew I could rely on the utility company. It’s not important to me, but to the people who live there. ”

Rosemary Moggatt, who lives in Agua Dulce, said she experienced intermittent strength for up to three days.

“Every time it happens, computers crash, food goes bad, appliances freeze, and landscapes dry up, among other things,” she said. “Yet (Edison) continues this horribly unethical practice, regardless of the consequences and dangers for thousands of their customers.”

A member of the Edison Community Outreach team in Southern California displays a solar powered USB researcher included in a kit that will be distributed to powerless customers arriving at the Edison Community Outreach Resource Center in Auga Dulce on Friday, 011520. Dan Watson / The Signal

State Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, and Rep. Suzette Valladares, R-Santa Clarita, and LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose 5th district includes these local affected areas, have stated that they consider how the impact can be reduced on interest payers.

“I know firsthand how disruptive these blackouts are to families who are distance learning and working from home during the pandemic, let alone those who rely on electricity to pump their water,” Valladares wrote in one Explanation by email. “I’m working closely with Edison of Southern California, my colleagues in the legislature, and my constituents affected by these shutdowns to mitigate their effects and find a way to ensure energy is available to all.”

Wilk’s office has reached out to the California Public Utilities Commission for clarification on their rules that allow the shutdowns but have not yet received a response, according to Wilk spokeswoman Eileen Ricker.

A community vehicle is expected to be made available to those affected from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. through Sunday at 33201 Agua Dulce Canyon Road, providing information on how to turn off the power, light snacks, water, small failsafe devices, and personal protective equipment.

To check the status of an update, utility customers can log in to receive notifications at sce.com/wildfire/psps-alerts or by calling 1-800-655-4555.