I have started a petition on Change.org to make Pacific Gas and Electric stop forced power shutoffs in California.

I have also sent emails to Gov. Newsom's office, the California Public Utilities Commission and PG&E about the proposed petition.

I realize that this is probably a pipe dream, but took this action after watching firsthand the desperation of people when the power was shut off, such as people fighting in the Walmart parking lot over the last bag of ice, parents trying to figure out how they can feed their children without any refrigeration for food, seniors being left in the dark and vulnerable and without any heat, not to mention the loss in wages for working families that depend on a weekly salary, and the small businesses and stores that lost thousands of dollars in merchandise only after a few days without power.

I also watched a video on the Lake County Sheriff’s site where they said that only 2 percent of California’s wildfires are caused by power lines and transformers.

So, now I ask myself, who is this really helping? No one that I can see.

Judy Nylander lives in Clearlake Oaks, Calif.