PG&E has confirmed that wild turkeys caused six power outages in Cambria since July by making power lines swing into contact with each other.
Stephanie Magallon, a regional communications representative for the utility, explained the unusual mechanics behind the feathered disruptions. “These large birds perch on power lines,” she said. “When they take off, the push from their weight causes the lines to swing and come into contact with one another. When that occurs, our enhanced powerline safety settings (EPSS) detect the hazard and automatically shut off power to prevent an ignition.”
The outages have struck the coastal community of roughly 6,000 residents during daylight hours, typically lasting around an hour. Some days brought multiple interruptions, with occurrences twice in one day or on consecutive days, according to The Tribune. The disruptions have left residents scrambling to get ready for work, brew their morning coffee and, in some cases, operate medical equipment.
Local businesses have also been caught in the dark, with restaurant workers facing interruptions as they prepare food and get ready to open for customers.
After residents turned to social media looking for answers, PG&E initially indicated that an “animal contacted the powerline” during the outages. The utility later confirmed to the Tribune that six outages in the area since July were caused by wild turkeys.
The automatic shutoffs are part of a broader wildfire prevention strategy along the North Coast, where power infrastructure runs through or near areas at elevated risk of wildfires. Magallon elaborated on the system’s rapid response: “We evaluate wildfire risk each day to determine when we should turn them on. These settings shut off power within one tenth of a second after detecting hazards on the power line, such as contact from an animal or tree branch, to prevent an ignition.”
Rather than simply blaming the birds and moving on, PG&E crews have been investigating ways to prevent the unusual outages from happening again. The utility said crews recently worked to modify the lines by creating more space between them, reducing the chances that the wires will touch when a turkey lands or takes off.
Residents and observers have reported increasingly large flocks of turkeys around the coastal community, with the birds commonly roosting in trees close to electrical lines. Although wild turkeys can fly, they aren’t exactly graceful long-distance aviators. Some residents have reported seeing the birds land on power lines while taking off from nearby trees. Young turkeys that have recently fledged may be even more likely to misjudge the distance and wind up where they shouldn’t.
In the viral moment that preceded this confirmation, Cambria residents had endured a bizarre string of short-lived power outages since mid-July that left them searching for explanations. The feathered troublemakers have also tangled with Cambria’s electrical infrastructure before. In 2021, a flying turkey was reportedly seen striking a power line during an outage that affected much of the community, according to reporting cited by the Tribune. PG&E did not confirm at the time that the bird caused the outage.
Despite the turkey issue, Cambria remains a top-tier travel destination. The quiet village, tucked into a pocket of Monterey pines on the Central Coast, was recently named one of the top weekend escapes on the West Coast by WorldAtlas.
“We understand these outages have been frustrating for customers, and we appreciate the community’s patience while we worked to identify and address the cause,” Magallon said.
PG&E crews are continuing to monitor the modified power lines as the turkey flocks remain active in the area.