Wary of wildfire, PG&E pulls plug on 500,000 Calif. customers amid ‘severe’ dry winds up to 70 mph

California’s largest utility began cutting power to some 800,000 customers early Wednesday so its equipment won’t spark wildfires during a “severe wind event,” the company said.

Pacific Gas & Electric said the “public safety power shutoff” would roll out in two or three phases, with the first intentional...