LONGMONT, Colo. — Longmont Power & Communications, which does not have a pre-preemptive power shutoff program, is taking several steps to prevent a fire ahead of forecasted high winds this week.

“We believe that we're taking the steps that we need to take right now to keep the lights on, but honestly, every event is scrutinized and evaluated,” said Electric Utility Director Darrell Hahn. “Power safety shut off is an extreme response, but it is something that makes sense in the right circumstances.”

Longmont Power & Communications, or LPC, crews are temporarily modifying the system so it doesn’t automatically re-energize when it detects a fault. This helps prevent a fire if, for example, the wind blows a tree onto a power line.

These are similar steps that LPC took in December during the last massive windstorm.

“It really worked exactly as we planned. We had crews actually out in the outage areas where we expected to see the outages, and so when the outages came in, the line crews were responding and getting folks turned back on as quickly as possible,” Hahn said.

LPC serves about 100,000 people in Longmont and Lyons with about 50,000 meters.

How Longmont is preparing for high winds without planned safety power shutoffs

Hahn said about 75% of their power lines are underground — expensive work they do gradually every year that provides additional protection from severe weather.

This year, LPC is also introducing new technology to detect wildfires and remote switching capabilities to speed up restoration time.

Year-round, the LPC contracts with a company to trim trees, reducing the risk of fire danger.

“We understand that electricity is a critical part of everybody's lives, from charging your cell phone to keeping medical equipment on, to heating and cooling even some water pumps in some cases,” Hahn said. “We understand that keeping the lights on, so to speak, is a very important role.”

Residents who see a downed power line should stay at least 35 feet away from it and anything touching it. Call LPC at 303-651-8386 to report the damage.