Pacific Gas & Electric warned that it was likely to cut power temporarily to almost 200,000 customers in Northern California by Wednesday night, the second pre-emptive blackout in two weeks.

A growing threat of offshore winds combined with dry air and high temperatures have made 16 counties in the Sierra Foothills and the North Bay vulnerable to wildfires, the utility said on Tuesday. The company sent phone messages, texts and emails to those who might be affected by the shut-off, as a new fire in Southern California burned near multimillion-dollar homes.

PG&E expects to begin cutting power Wednesday afternoon just ahead of the fierce winds. The weather conditions are expected to subside Thursday, when the utility plans to begin restoring power.

The sole purpose of the shut-off “is to significantly reduce catastrophic wildfire risk to our customers and communities,” said Michael Lewis, PG&E’s senior vice president for electric operations, who made the decision to cut power to about two million people two weeks ago.