More than 271,000 SoCal Edison customers at risk of power outages as red flag conditions return

With red flag conditions returning to Southern California, more than 271,000 Southern California Edison customers face the possibility of power outages starting Wednesday night.

The utility's Public Safety Power Shutoff program is designed to lower the risk of fires caused by damage to electrical equipment when strong winds are expected. Some of the most destructive wildfires in California's history have been linked to damaged electrical equipment.

Edison said it is monitoring conditions for a possible shutdown starting around 9 p.m. Wednesday night and potentially lasting until Saturday.

A map of communities from Ventura County to the Inland Empire that could be affected is available here.

RELATED: What is Southern California Edison doing to reduce the risk of wildfires from electrical equipment?

As firefighters across California prepare for the upcoming fire season, Southern California Edison is looking at ways it can reduce planned power outages during the coronavirus pandemic.

SCE customers can sign up for alerts to let them know if the power will be shut off.

Southern California Edison has about 5 million customers and is considering power outages for about 5.4% of them spread throughout eight counties. Among them:

Red flag warnings are already in effect for many areas of Southern California.