SAN FRANCISCO, July 2 -- Pacific Gas & Electric Co. started cutting power to its customers in Northern California, western U.S. state of California, Tuesday morning to ensure its equipment does not spark a wildfire amid heat waves.

PG&E informed customers Monday that power outages could begin early Tuesday morning. Some 12,000 customers could lose power amid extreme heat and fire risk.

The National Weather Service has forecast "dangerously hot conditions" with "potentially record-breaking heat" for multiple parts of the state.

The agency issued a red flag warning for parts of the Sacramento Valley, Lake County and Solano County as an exceptionally strong high-pressure system will move over California on Tuesday into Wednesday.

"We are closely monitoring areas where abnormally high heat is forecasted and demand on the grid will be elevated," said Scott Strenfel, senior director of meteorology and fire science at PG&E.

  - Xinhua