Black Hills Energy on emergency shutoff watch in select counties due to fire danger

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Select portions of Southern Colorado counties will be on emergency power shutoff watch on Tuesday in light of high fire danger, a spokesperson with Black Hills Energy said.

According to Black Hills Energy, the Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Watch is for isolated portions of Crowley, Fremont, Otero and Pueblo counties. The areas account for about 5,400 customers, Black Hills Energy says.

The emergency watch means that Black Hills Energy may temporarily shut off power in the areas tomorrow if windy conditions persist. A shutoff may be necessary to prevent sparking a wildfire.

Black Hills Energy says that impacted customers will be contacted via email and text.

“The safety of our customers, employees and communities is our highest priority,” said Campbell Hawkins, vice president of Colorado Utilities in a release. “Our Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff program, or PSPS, is a critical tool for wildfire prevention and used as a last-resort measure to protect lives and property and will only be activated in areas with elevated wildfire risk.”

Black Hills Energy provided the following list on how residents can prepare:

• Keep your contact information up to date with Black Hills Energy so we can provide safety notifications and direct you to our website for helpful tips and resources. Visit blackhillsenergy.com/my-account.    
• Have a backup plan for medicine that needs to be refrigerated or medical equipment that is powered by electricity. This could mean finding a place to go during an outage or having a backup generator. 
• Build an emergency kit and plan and share with friends and neighbors.  
• If you see downed powerlines, stay away and call 911.

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