As high winds and dry weather buffet the state of California this fall, utility companies such as Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) are taking drastic measures to prevent any wildfires from being sparked by their equipment. Primarily, these utility companies are issuing controlled blackouts.

These blackouts shut-off power to high risk areas. The idea is that if a power line is downed by the wind, there won’t be any electricity flowing through it to spark a new fire. This all comes from the past few years where both companies have been found responsible for several large brush fires that burned across California.

Unfortunately, for a lot of people, this means going without power for a day or longer...