Dry, windy conditions on Colorado’s Front Range and Eastern Plains will create “critical fire weather conditions” this week, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service issued a red flag warning from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday for parts of Jefferson, Douglas, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Park, Elbert, Adams, Arapahoe, Lincoln and Washington counties.
Strong winds up to 35 mph, relative humidity as low as 11% and warm temperatures are expected Monday, and could each “contribute to extreme fire behavior,” forecasters stated in the warning.
A fire weather watch will be in effect for the same area on Tuesday, as well as for parts of Denver, Broomfield and Morgan counties, according to the weather service. Up to 60 mph wind gusts are forecast.
“We expect extreme wildfire conditions due to historically low snowpack, coupled with unseasonably warm and dry weather and very dry vegetation that could contribute to large, fast-spreading wildfires,” Xcel Energy officials said Sunday in a statement on social media. “High winds that create wildfire risk and may cause power outages are expected to continue through Thursday.”
As of Monday morning, no proactive power outages had been planned by Xcel officials. Unplanned outages were still possible.
The utility plans to activate “enhanced powerline safety settings” throughout the week, Xcel officials said. The settings make lines more sensitive and will stop the flow of electricity if an issue, like a tree branch touching the line, is detected.
Power restoration can take hours to days because Xcel crews need to inspect each line and repair any damage before electricity can return, according to the utility.
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