PG&E outage leaves 1,916 Clovis customers without power

A late-afternoon PG&E outage left 1,916 Clovis customers without electricity just as families were getting ready for dinner, turning a routine utility problem into a heat-related disruption across the city. The outage was first reported at 4:42 p.m. Thursday, June 18, when homes were still trying to stay cool and keep food, internet service and evening routines on track.

PG&E said crews were inspecting the electrical system to identify damaged sections and make the repairs needed to restore service safely. The utility had not provided an estimated restoration time, and the cause remained under investigation, leaving Clovis residents waiting for both power and answers.

The timing mattered in Fresno County, where a June outage can quickly become more than an inconvenience. With temperatures pushing into triple digits, losing electricity can mean losing air conditioning just when it is needed most. For households with older adults, young children or residents who depend on powered medical equipment, the interruption can bring a safety concern, not just discomfort.

The outage also hit during the part of the day when refrigerators, ovens and home cooling systems are working hardest. That left many families scrambling to adjust dinner plans, preserve food and find ways to stay comfortable as the evening set in. In a city that has said Sierra Vista Mall can serve as a cooling center during extreme heat when temperatures are forecast to reach 105 degrees or higher, the loss of power underscored how quickly a utility failure can affect daily life.

PG&E’s outage center lets customers report outages, check service status and get updates by text. Residents can also reply “Status” for current outage information and use the outage map to track disruptions in their area.

The Clovis outage came amid a string of other electric disruptions across PG&E’s system. The utility’s outage center showed 31 current outages affecting 1,132 customers on June 22, and on June 2 another unplanned outage in north Fresno left 2,790 customers without electricity in the Fort Washington area. For Fresno County, the pattern raised a familiar summer question: whether outages of this size are isolated failures or a warning of more trouble once the heat settles in.