Wildfire-related Public Safety Power Shutoffs can begin with little notice and last 24-48 hours.
Wildfire and PSPS Preparedness
California is the only state where utilities intentionally cut power to prevent wildfires. Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric all operate Public Safety Power Shutoff programs under CPUC oversight. During the 2019 wildfire season alone, PG&E de-energized circuits affecting over 2 million customer accounts across dozens of counties. A single October 2019 PSPS event left roughly 941,000 PG&E customers without power for an average of 55 hours.
These shutoffs can arrive with limited advance notice and target Tier 2 and Tier 3 fire-threat zones, which span much of the Wildland-Urban Interface. PSPS events also coincide with peak wildfire smoke season. NREL research found that heavy smoke days can reduce solar panel output by 10% to 30% across the state.
For backup sizing, this creates a compounding problem: the grid goes down precisely when solar recharge capacity drops. Evacuation kits should prioritize portability and self-contained runtime over raw capacity.
Federal disaster declaration for wildfire that destroyed the town of Paradise and forced mass evacuations in Butte County.
Source: FEMA DR-4407Federal disaster declaration for wildfire spanning multiple counties in Northern California.
Source: FEMA DR-4610NRI score of 98.8 is the highest in this pilot, but Earthquake ranks as top modeled hazard while Fire drives 124 of 151 FEMA declarations.
Use both modeled hazard rankings and FEMA declaration mix to prioritize realistic outage scenarios.
Lightweight portable kit for evacuation shelters or vehicle staging: medical, communications, and a laptop for coordination.
Load
491W
Target
8h
Minimum
6,500 Wh
Prioritize weight and portability. Check our best-for pages to compare station weights.
Size this scenario in calculatorHome backup during a planned Public Safety Power Shutoff: refrigeration, communications, and air circulation.
Load
365W
Target
24h
Minimum
14,400 Wh
PSPS events can be extended without warning. Solar recharge adds resilience.
Size this scenario in calculatorCritical Note: No single portable power station in our database covers the full 8-hour baseline at this load (6,144 Wh max). Use solar recharge, load rotation, or expandable systems for longer events.
Treating earthquake ranking as the only signal while wildfire-related shutoffs dominate recent declarations.
Ignoring smoke and sunlight variability when relying on solar-only recharge assumptions.
Sizing for comfort loads first instead of communications, refrigeration, and medical essentials.
When evacuating for wildfire, you need communication, medical devices, and lighting — not a whole-house backup. Here is the minimal battery kit that actually works.
Not all solar panels work with all power stations. MPPT voltage ranges, connector types, and real-world charge times from our database of 20 panels and 33 stations.
For home backup, you need surge capacity for fridge compressors and enough Wh for multi-day outages. Here are the best options from our database of 33 stations.
Composite score: 98.8 / 100
Rating: Very High
Top modeled hazards: Earthquake, Riverine Flooding, Wildfire
Hurricane score: 1.5
Winter Weather score: 38.0
Wildfire score: 96.8
Total (2014-2023): 151
Most recent: 2023-11-21 Hurricane
| Type | Count |
|---|---|
| Fire | 124 |
| Severe Storm | 11 |
| Flood | 6 |
| Earthquake | 3 |
| Biological | 2 |
| Hurricane | 2 |
| Dam/Levee Break | 1 |
| Tropical Storm | 1 |
| Winter Storm | 1 |
Required Wh = (Total Load W × Target Hours / Inverter Derate) × Safety Factor
Inverter derate: 0.70 (30% real-world loss)
Safety factor: 1.15
Rounding: Up to nearest 100 Wh
California has an NRI composite risk score of 98.8 (Very High), with 151 federal declarations from 2014 to 2023. NRI score of 98.8 is the highest in this pilot, but Earthquake ranks as top modeled hazard while Fire drives 124 of 151 FEMA declarations.
For the primary scenario on this page (Evacuation grab-and-go), the estimated minimum is 6,500 Wh for a 8-hour target. Refine this in the calculator with your actual devices.
NRI is a modeled risk index based on hazard exposure, vulnerability, and expected loss. FEMA declarations reflect federally declared incidents. They answer different questions — use both signals together for planning.
Assuming one power station can cover a long shutdown without load prioritization or recharge planning. See the common mistakes section above for more state-specific pitfalls.
