Fires create electricity "island" in San Diego

By Bernie Woodall

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California wildfires created an electricity "island" of San Diego County on Wednesday as one major power transmission link to the U.S. West grid was shut and the other was flickering on and off, said San Diego Gas & Electric Co.

A minor link to Mexico that has been pressed into service now has fire under it and may have to shut as well, California power officials said Wednesday afternoon.

This makes the San Diego area susceptible to major blackouts unless customers conserve power, said Michael Niggli, chief operating officer of SDG&E.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders implored residents to cut power use.

"You've got to conserve today. You have no choice," Sanders said.

About 20,000 homes and businesses were without power midday Wednesday, down from 33,000 on Tuesday, SDG&E spokeswoman Rachel Laing said.

SDG&E gets about half its electricity from outside its service area for the 1.3 million homes and businesses it serves.

Four days of wildfires have caused the largest evacuation in California's history.