High Winds Trigger Power Shutoffs in Colorado Front Range

Colorado's Front Range faced escalating wildfire dangers on Friday as utility companies implemented widespread power shutoffs amid hurricane-force winds gusting up to 100 miles per hour or more, affecting hundreds of thousands of residents in multiple counties.

Xcel Energy initiated the second round of preventive outages this week, beginning as early as 5 a.m. Friday and impacting approximately 69,000 customers in Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld counties. The measure followed a similar shutoff on Wednesday that left around 50,000 customers without power, with total outages reaching nearly 109,000 by Thursday afternoon due to wind damage. Officials described the actions as necessary to reduce the risk of downed power lines igniting fires in critically dry conditions along the Interstate 25 corridor and foothills.

The National Weather Service in Boulder issued a rare "particularly dangerous situation" red flag warning for northern Jefferson County and western Boulder County, highlighting sustained winds of 35 to 50 miles per hour combined with low humidity and near-record warm temperatures. Forecasters reported gusts already exceeding 105 miles per hour...