News Flash

In an effort to reduce the risk of wildfire, Southern California Edison (SCE) may initiate Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) in High Fire Threat District areas as designated by the California Public Utilities Commission due to projected weather conditions.

During these events, SCE may proactively shut off power temporarily as a result of elevated weather conditions that could cause a power line to fall and spark, possibly igniting a wildfire. PSPS events are temporary and are meant to keep the community safe.

SCE operates four circuits that provide power to the City of Rancho Santa Margarita and surrounding areas:

Rustic Circuit (map) 

Atento Circuit (map)

Modjeska (map)

Olympiad (map)

SCE determines which circuit(s) will be affected and alerts customers accordingly. Circuits do not correspond with City boundaries.

SCE considers a number of factors and conditions before declaring a PSPS. These include, but are not limited to

• High winds (including Red Flag Warnings declared by the National Weather Service)

• Low humidity

• Dry vegetation that could serve as fuel

• On-the-ground observations

• Fire threat to electric infrastructure

• Public safety risk

SCE will notify local governments, the emergency management community, and first responders in advance of PSPS events. They also intend to notify affected customers approximately two days in advance of a potential power shutoff. This notification will be via email, text, or phone call. They may also send another notice to customers approximately one day before a potential power shutoff. SCE will also notify affected customers when power has been restored.

For more information, visit www.sce.com and SCEs social media channels, and sign up for PSPS alerts at sce.com/OutageAlerts. If you have any questions, please call the SCE Call Center at 1-800-611-1911.

PSPS Frequently Asked Questions