Black Hills Energy Declares Public Safety Power Shutoff Watch for Four Colorado Counties Amid Fire Risk

Description: Black Hills Energy may shut off power to 5,400 customers in Crowley, Fremont, Otero and Pueblo counties Tuesday due to high wildfire risk. Residents should prepare for possible outages. Read the Full Press Release...


Published: 02/16/2026
Byline: SECO News

Black Hills Energy Issues Emergency PSPS Watch for Crowley, Fremont, Otero and Pueblo Counties Amid High Fire Risk
 
Black Hills Energy declares Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff Watch in isolated portions of Crowley County, Fremont County, Otero County, and Pueblo County; customers encouraged to prepare for possible power outages mid-day Tuesday
 
PUEBLO, Colo., Feb. 16, 2026 – Due to high fire-risk conditions in Tuesday’s forecast from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Black Hills Energy has declared an Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Watch for isolated portions of Crowley County, Fremont County, Otero County and Pueblo County. The PSPS Watch will be in effect starting today at 12 p.m. This means that if conditions persist, the company may need to temporarily shut off power to approximately 5,400 customers in these areas from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to mitigate the risk of electrical infrastructure becoming a source of wildfire ignition. Customers under the PSPS Watch declaration are urged to prepare for the possibility of emergency power outages needed to protect public safety and prevent wildfire.
 
“The safety of our customers, employees and communities is our highest priority,” said Campbell Hawkins, vice president of Colorado Utilities. “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.”
 
“We recognize that shutting off power, even to reduce wildfire risks, has broad impacts,” said Hawkins. “We will do our best to provide as much advance notice as possible if an emergency power shutoff is likely to occur, by issuing a PSPS Warning. If conditions suddenly become hazardous, power may need to be shut off with little or no notice.”
 
Black Hills Energy will notify impacted customers with a variety of methods including text messages and emails and through local media. The company will also provide updates on the Black Hills Energy website to help keep the public informed throughout the PSPS event. 
 
How you 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.
 
How to stay informed


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