Crashes, Planned Outages Leave Thousands Without Power Across California

A series of power-related incidents across California this week has left thousands of residents in the dark, ranging from a fiery highway crash in the Bay Area to a controversial planned outage in Southern California during a brutal heat wave.

Novato: Highway 101 Crash Downs Power Lines, Knocks Out Power to 6,000

A chaotic scene unfolded Thursday morning in Novato when an elderly driver crashed into a power pole on Highway 101, bringing down live power lines, sparking brush fires, and shutting down the major freeway in both directions.

The crash occurred just before 9:30 a.m. near the Highway 37 interchange in Novato. According to the California Highway Patrol, an elderly woman driving a white Jeep ran into a power pole while heading north on Highway 101. The impact sent power lines crashing across both sides of the highway, igniting small brush fires on the shoulders.

The incident caused a massive traffic backup that stretched for miles as PG&E crews worked to cut power to the lines so fire crews could safely extinguish the flames. According to PG&E's outage map, more than 6,000 customers were without power in the area. The outage also knocked out traffic signals in South Novato.

The driver sustained only minor injuries and remained at the scene. Three other vehicles were damaged by the downed lines. Highway 101 was fully reopened by approximately 10:40 a.m.. PG&E estimated power would be restored by 1:15 p.m..

Placer County: Cement Truck Knocks Out Power to Thunder Valley Casino

In Northern California's Placer County, a cement truck striking power lines Thursday morning knocked out electricity to the Thunder Valley Casino Resort, temporarily suspending its gaming operations.

PG&E confirmed the crash had impacted electrical service to the resort and surrounding areas. The outage also affected residents in Roseville and Lincoln, though PG&E said it had restored power to those areas.

Power to the casino itself was restored around 2 p.m., but gaming operations remained impacted. By approximately 7 p.m., Thunder Valley officials said the casino was fully operational. It remains unclear whether other resort amenities — including the hotel, restaurants, or entertainment venues — were affected.

Calabasas: Planned Outage Sparks Outrage Amid Heat Wave

While the Novato and Placer County outages were accidental, a planned power outage in Calabasas has ignited controversy. Southern California Edison notified more than 500 customers in the Greater Mulwood area that they would face overnight outages on Friday and Saturday nights to upgrade equipment.

The utility said the upgrades would help reduce wildfire risks and prevent future outages. However, the timing has enraged residents, as Southern California is in the midst of a sweltering heat wave with triple-digit temperatures expected in some areas.

"On a heat wave. It's horrible, it's unbearable," said resident Jonathan Bobbitt. "Our house gets so hot. It's harder to sleep when ... it's 80, 90 degrees in your house".

SCE initially planned to begin work at 7 p.m. each night but pushed the start time back to 9 p.m. after receiving significant pushback. "I haven't really seen that before, where they change hours," said Calabasas Mayor James Bozajian. "They must have gotten quite a bit of pushback".

Bozajian noted that the city received numerous complaints from residents, particularly concerning the elderly and disabled. "Elderly and some people, maybe with disabilities, they have limited ability to get out of the house or to go somewhere else, or to take alternatives," he said.

Residents said they support the safety upgrades but not at the cost of their health and comfort during extreme heat. "I just think that there could be better planning for this," said one resident. "It's called reschedule the entire thing, not just reschedule the hours".

A Summer of Strain

From an elderly driver's crash that brought a major freeway to a standstill to a cement truck that shut down a casino, and a planned outage that has a community up in arms, this week's events underscore the fragility of California's power infrastructure. When the next outage strikes, having a reliable backup power source is no longer a luxury — it's a necessity. Explore Kingboss backup power solutions to keep your essential appliances running when the grid goes down.

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Sources:

1. East Bay Times - Novato freeway crash downs power lines, halts traffic, causes large outage - https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2026/07/30/novato-freeway-crash-downs-power-lines-halts-traffic-causes-large-outage/
2. ABC7 News - Novato crash knocks down power lines, sparks brush fire, forcing closure of Hwy 101 - https://abc7news.com/post/novato-crash-knocks-down-power-lines-forcing-closure-hwy-101-37-sparks-brush-fire/19602248/
3. SFGate - Novato: Update: Lanes Starting To Open To Traffic Following Crash Into Power Pole On Highway 101 - https://www.sfgate.com/news/bayarea/article/novato-update-lanes-starting-to-open-to-traffic-22367468.php
4. CBS Sacramento - Power outage temporarily shuts down gaming at Thunder Valley Casino Resort - https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/power-outage-thunder-valley-casino-resort/
5. CBS Los Angeles - Calabasas residents outraged over planned power safety shutoffs in midst of heat wave - https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/calabasas-planned-power-outage-southern-california-edison-greater-mulwood/