Hurricane-force winds down power lines, fan wildfires in Colorado; more on the way

Hurricane-force winds downed power lines and fanned wildfires along Colorado's Front Range and into the Great Plains on Wednesday into Thursday, prompting utilities to shut off service to reduce the risk of ignition. Xcel Energy said it de-energized much of its eastern Colorado service area, a decision aimed at preventing downed lines from sparking fires. By Thursday afternoon, about 60% of the nearly 700 miles of de-energized lines had been restored, and outages remained around 37,000 customers across the Front Range and the Rockies. Officials warned more outages were likely Friday as winds were forecast to strengthen and linger, and the restoration process would require inspections rather than a simple flip of a switch.

In central Denver, the power was out overnight, and residents reported furniture blown from balconies, at least one apartment window blown out, and streets littered with blown-down branches as winds, in some places, topped 100 mph (160 kph) late Wednesday.

Winds on Wednesday afternoon and into Thursday also fanned wildfires of still-undetermined origin in eastern Colorado, burning at least 14,000 acres (5,700 hectares) in Yuma County, local emergency management officials said in a Facebook post. A grass fire on the south side of Cheyenne, Wyoming, prompted a neighborhood evacuation for several hours Wednesday evening, though no structures were reported damaged.

High winds and red flag fire warnings were in effect across much of Kansas on Thursday, with blowing dust reducing visibility so severely that a stretch of Interstate 70 near the state’s western border with Colorado was closed. The Kansas Department of Transportation urged motorists to consider delaying nonessential travel.

In the Pacific Northwest, heavy rain continued to fall along with snow in the mountains. Rivers in Washington had fallen since recent flooding inundated communities, damaged roads and prompted more than 600 rescues. Parts of southern Oregon and northern California were expected to see several more inches (centimeters) of rain and strong winds Friday and into the weekend.

Officials cautioned that the weather system would continue to disrupt restoration efforts and pose ongoing wildfire risks as it shifts eastward. Utility spokesmen noted that power would not return instantly at the wind’s end because lines must be inspected for safety before service can be restored. The episode highlighted the environmental and infrastructure challenges posed by severe wind events along the Front Range and adjacent plains.