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Once again, hot, dry winds sweeping across vast swaths of the state have prompted energy companies to shut off power to hundreds of thousands of customers in hopes of preventing a catastrophic wildfire sparked by their equipment.

On Wednesday, Pacific Gas & Electric said it would cut power to 179,000 customers in the Wine Country area, in the Sierra foothills and in Kern County in the afternoon and overnight.

[Read the full story about the power shut-offs.]

Even so, the Kincade Fire sparked in northeastern Sonoma County, burning at a “dangerous rate,” over hundreds of acres, according to The Press Democrat. The authorities issued evacuation orders for some areas east of Geyserville.

As of late Wednesday night, Southern California Edison said it was considering shutting power off to 308,000 customers across a large area.