Tag: Wildfires
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Colorado lawmakers roll out bipartisan plan aimed at lowering home insurance risk
Rising homeowners’ insurance rates prompted a group of lawmakers to introduce a bill Wednesday aimed at reducing damage from hail and wildfire. The measure would encourage homeowners and homeowner associations to take additional mitigation steps and, in turn, could allow insurers to offer lower insurance rates once those steps are completed. Senate Bill 49 is…
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Colorado city demands action, transparency from Xcel Energy on power shutoffs
The City of Golden demanded action from Xcel Energy, saying the latter’s power shutoffs caused grief throughout the community, including “financial shocks” and a “disproportionate” impact on one of Colorado’s major tourism destinations. In a letter, city officials said the company needs to put into place a more resilient infrastructure so its customers wouldn’t have…
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Businesses face losses after Xcel power shutoffs
Restaurants west of Denver are still coming to grips with product losses and future revenue concerns after power shutoffs last week by Xcel Energy, which cited high winds as the rationale for the decision. “It’s like living in a third-world country,” Brandon Bortles, owner of Nosu Ramen and Abejas Bistro in Golden, said Tuesday. “We’re…
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Pine beetle infestation in Colorado’s Front Range forests prompts action from Gov. Polis
Pine beetle infestations are quickly spreading across large areas of Colorado’s ponderosa pine forests, evident from aerial surveys conducted by the U.S. Forest Service over the last year. The USFS surveys found beetle infestations in mountainous and foothill regions from Larimer County to El Paso County have been on the rise over the last year,…
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Xcel to shut off power again Friday, impacting more customers, officials say
Xcel Energy is planning for another intentional power outage Friday in light of what may be more severe weather than what hit the Front Range Wednesday, officials said at a news conference Thursday morning. As severe winds continue to whip through the foothills west of Denver, surpassing 100 mph in some spots, Xcel Energy President…
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Nearly 90,000 without power as more high winds expected in Front Range
After Xcel Energy outages rolled through the Front Range Wednesday, nearly 90,000 Coloradans woke up without power Thursday. The electricity shutoffs, which affected Boulder, Larimer, Jefferson, Weld and Clear Creek counties, were an intentional tactic used by the energy provider to prevent downed wires from sparking wildfires in the case of a severe wind event…
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Xcel Energy shutting down power for wildfire safety
Shutdown will affect Adams, Boulder, Jefferson and eastern Denver counties Xcel Energy announced a Public Safety Power Shutoff for customers in Adams, Boulder, Jefferson and eastern Denver counties beginning around 11 a.m. Monday. The company said that “evolving weather conditions” threaten very high winds, low humidity and dry vegetation that elevate the risk of wildfires…
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Man blamed for starting fatal Palisades Fire dropped Uber rider off in area and hiked trail prior to blaze
The United States Attorney’s Office of the Central District of California reports that an arrest has been made related to the start of the Palisades Fire of January 2025. The Palisades Fire burned throughout the course of the month in Los Angeles County, killing at least 12 people while burning more than 23,000 acres and…
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Colorado delegation seeks federal aid for wildfire-ravaged Rio Blanco County
Colorado’s 10 U.S. senators and representatives sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Monday, asking him to declare a disaster following pair of wildfires that burned in the northwestern part of the state last month. Under the Stafford Act of 1988, a state’s governor can request a presidential major disaster declaration if the state doesn’t have…
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AI cameras are spotting wildfires across California — often before humans call 911
For generations, fire lookout towers stood as landmarks across the American West. Binoculars in hand, dedicated fire spotters scanned the landscape for smoke and radioed firefighters before flames grew out of control. But now, as California enters what is historically the most dangerous part of fire season — the end of summer before the first…