San Rafael, CA – The County of Marin and several other municipal governments are opening electrical charging stations for residents in Southern Marin who are being affected by the temporary shutoff of power from PG&E.
The Marin County Sheriff’s Office Substation in Marin City (850 Drake Avenue) opened its charging service for small electronic devices at noon Wednesday, October 9, and said it would remain open until 8 p.m. Chargers are not provided, but bottled water is available for affected residents.
Other charging stations opening in the Southern Marin area are:
- Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto
- Sausalito Public Library, Sausalito City Hall and Sausalito Parks & Recreation Office, 420 Litho Street
- Tamalpais Valley Community Services District office, 305 Bell Lane (open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
- Strawberry Recreation Center, 118 E. Strawberry Drive (9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
On October 8, Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) notified the County that it was activating its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) protocols in response to high temperatures, extreme fire conditions and high winds. Affected areas in Marin included Bolinas, Fairfax, Marin City, Mill Valley, Muir Beach, Olema, Sausalito, and Stinson Beach.
The duration of the shutoff is unknown and will be determined by PG&E.
Marin County also is under a Red Flag warning because of weather conditions. Residents are advised to exercise extreme caution during the Red Flag Warning because a simple spark could cause a major wildfire, including the use of equipment and machinery as well as smoking. Fire agencies in Marin, including the Marin County Fire Department, have increased staffing resources during the heightened threat.
The County of Marin activated its Emergency Operations Center on Tuesday evening and the Marin County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services initiated its Electrical System De-energization Response Plan. County personnel are coordinating with nearby response partners in monitoring the power situation.
PG&E – which has experienced problems with its website during the shutoff – is monitoring weather patterns and said it will provide updates to customers and the County of Marin as additional information is available. Residents and businesses can access updated PSPS information from PG&E online at www.pge.com/pspsupdates.
All questions regarding PSPS events and extended outages should be directed to PG&E via its website and 866-743-6589. Please only call 9-1-1 if you are experiencing a medical or life-threatening emergency.
Residents who have questions about the resources available during the outage 415-457-INFO or 2-1-1.