Wildfires Add New Threat Escalating California Power Crisis (1)

California faces the dual threat of blackouts from an overwhelmed grid as well as from the risk of wildfires as a punishing heat wave continues to exact a toll on the state’s power system.

Edison International’s Southern California utility warned Thursday afternoon that it is considering cutting power to more than 50,000 customers to reduce fire risk in the drought-parched region. The warning could last through Saturday.

The alert came after the state’s grid operator had declared an emergency for a fourth straight day, asking residents and businesses to conserve power. The emergency level was canceled late Thursday without the ...