High winds lead to power outages across Denver metro area to reduce wildfire risk

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) — High wind on Tuesday could mean power outages for people in parts of the Denver metro area and foothills.
On Tuesday, Core Electric Cooperative engaged alternate relay settings on its lines in Castle Rock, Bennett and Conifer service areas.
FOX31 Weather: View the latest Denver forecasts, maps and radar
'We reprogram our system so if a tree or an animal were to get into our lines, the line automatically de-energizes and does not automatically reenergize,' Amber King, spokesperson for Core Electric Cooperative said.
Without power running through the lines, they can't create a spark to ignite a wildfire.
'What that can do is cause some outages because what we then do is have our crews go inspect the line to ensure there's no fire risk before we reenergize,' King said.
According to King, power outages due to the alternate relay settings happened across their service area on Monday. Tuesday afternoon, an outage impacting more than 1,000 customers was reported. Core sent linemen to inspect the equipment but it was not immediately clear if the outage was due to the wildfire safety setting.
Xcel Energy has a similar system to protect against wildfire, called Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings.
'When EPSS is activated, power lines are more sensitive and can instantly stop the flow of energy if an object touches the line,' Xcel said in a statement.
Evacuations lifted, wildfire north of Dry Creek Reservoir 100% contained
In cases of extreme wildfire danger, Xcel can proactively turn off the power by employing a Public Safety Power Shutoff. The utility company said it has no plans to employ the PSPS protocol during this week's weather event.
'These are some of the hottest, driest, windiest days on record the last couple of days,' West Metro Fire Rescue Lieutenant Rhett Blackmer said.
Blackmer is part of WMFR's wildland fire response team. He says sparks from power lines are a big concern during red flag conditions.
'Anything that is small that we're going to go to can pretty quickly become a large incident,' Blackmer said.
WMFR's protocol during periods of increased fire danger is to automatically upgrade all calls for vegetation fires to a 'large' response to ensure there are enough resources on-site to handle a rapidly spreading fire. The specialized brush truck also follows traditional engines on every call.
'Time is of the essence on a windy day like today,' Blackmer said. 'As the Denver metro area grows and we move further into these wildland-urban interface areas, more and more homes are at risk in wildfire type areas.'
Denver weather: Pinpoint Weather Alert Day for strong wind, snow chances
South Metro Fire Rescue employs a similar technique to WMFR. On red flag days, brush trucks follow along on all engine calls until 9 p.m.
'We do this so that if a vegetation fire breaks out while our responders are not at the station, all resources will be together and ready to respond without unnecessary delay,' SMFR spokesperson Tate Owen said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

CBS News

4 days ago

• CBS News

PG&E power shutoffs likely for parts of Northern California Thursday through Sunday

Elevated wildfire concerns have prompted PG&E to issue a likely Public Safety Power Shutoff warning for parts of Northern and Central California into the weekend. The possible shutoffs are expected to start Thursday as significant wind gusts forecasted to hit the region. PG&E's website lists that shutoffs are likely to happen from Thursday through Sunday. Which counties could be impacted by the PSPS? Parts of the following counties are listed under the likely shutoff warning, according to PG&E: Alameda Contra Costa Fresno Merced Monterey Napa San Benito San Joaquin San Luis Obispo Santa Barbara Santa Clara Shasta Sonoma Stanislaus Wind gusts are expected to be up to 60 mph in the Eastern Bay Area, and around 45 mph in the northwest Sacramento Valley and Salinas Valley foothills.

Yahoo

4 days ago

• Yahoo

Metro Denver, Eastern Plains saw severe weather Tuesday

DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver metro area and Eastern Plains on Tuesday morning experienced severe weather amid a 'rare' overnight storm. Thunderstorm warnings, tennis-ball-sized hail and hundreds of flight delays have all been reported on Tuesday, which is a Pinpoint Weather Alert Day as more severe weather is expected across the metro area later in the day. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up for weather alerts from the Pinpoint Weather team Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Yahoo

4 days ago

• Yahoo

Pinpoint Weather Alert Days for Tuesday severe storms, Friday and Saturday temperatures

DENVER (KDVR) — After some Tuesday morning storms, Denver has another round of severe weather early in the afternoon, with the storms pushing out into the Eastern Plains by the late afternoon. Tuesday is a Pinpoint Weather Alert Day for hail risks and gusty winds in the metro and Eastern Plains. Friday and Saturday will both be Pinpoint Weather Alert Days as well as record-breaking heat is expected both days. Storms from Tuesday morning will clear, leaving some partial clearing through mid-morning. Highs will be below average, only reaching the upper 70s. Storms then kick off along Interstate 25 and metro Denver in the early afternoon, after noon and prior to 2 p.m. Live updates: Metro Denver, Eastern Plains see severe weather early Tuesday morning There is a slight risk for severe weather in the metro on Tuesday and an enhanced risk for the Eastern Plains. Risks include damaging hail in the metro, gusty winds and an isolated tornado in the plains. Be smart and keep an eye on the weather as it is a Pinpoint Weather Alert Day. Once the afternoon storms clear, Denver will see gradual clearing skies into the late evening. Skies will continue to slowly clear as Denver heads into the overnight hours with a light wind. Low temperatures Tuesday night will dip into seasonal lows in the lower 50s. Mainly sunny skies are back in the forecast on Wednesday afternoon, helping to warm highs to the seasonal averages in the middle 80s. The sunny skies are still in Denver for Thursday afternoon with temperatures climbing to the middle 90s. FOX31 Weather: View the latest Denver forecasts, maps and radar Denver has a good chance to see its first 100-degree day of the year on Friday with plenty of sunshine. Saturday is also another hot day with temperatures nearing 100 degrees with lots of sunshine. The Pinpoint Weather team is watching Friday and Saturday for the potential of hitting triple digits. Sunday is still hot with highs in the lower 90s and partly to mainly sunny skies. Monday kicks off the next workweek with more seasonal highs in the lower 80s, partly cloudy skies, and the chance for an afternoon shower or storm. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.