SoCal Edison Warns of Possible Outages Due to Santa Ana Winds

With strong winds and the ongoing cold spell forecasted for Tuesday, Southern California Edison reminded customers today that they can report outages on Facebook and Twitter, via the mobile "SCE Outages" application online at www.sce.com/outages or by calling (800) 655-4555.

Outages are expected because of a Santa Ana wind event forecast through Tuesday and possibly Wednesday and the freeze warning and frost advisory that has been issued through Tuesday morning.

Safety Tips for Cold Weather

The utility company also reminded customers to be careful when using portable heaters and electric blankets during the extreme cold forecast for the next two days.

Other safety tips for cold weather include:

• Candles, charcoal and any open flame indoors can pose a safety hazard. Make sure you are well prepared for an outage, especially if you rely on electric heat.
• Keep your children at least three feet from your furnace, fire place, wood stove or portable heater.
• Never use your oven to heat your home.
• If you are using space heaters, try to keep one room warm at a time. It’s safer and will help to keep your electric bill lower. Remember to turn your portable heater off when you leave a room or go to bed.
• Make sure your electric blanket is in good working condition and turn it off when you are not using it.
• Plug portable heaters directly into electrical wall outlets and do not use extension cords.
• Never use equipment designed for outdoor cooking and heating indoors because it releases toxic fumes.
• Check on elderly and medically fragile neighbors to make sure they are safe during an outage.

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