By order of Sheriff Darren Weekly, Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in place for unincorporated areas of Douglas County. Ordinance No. O-012-004 restricts open fires, open burning, and the use of fireworks in the unincorporated areas of Douglas County.
By order of Sheriff Darren Weekly, Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in place for unincorporated areas of Douglas County. Ordinance No. O-012-004 restricts open fires, open burning, and the use of fireworks in the unincorporated areas of Douglas County.
Xcel Energy plans second Public Safety Power Shutoff in parts of the state this week; critically dry conditions Friday increase wildfire precautions
Posted on December 18, 2025 2025News and EventsPublic Safety
We know that wildfires are the No. 1 natural hazard in Douglas County. Your county leaders and our regional and state partners have been working around the clock to protect your community this week during the high winds and low humidity conditions that can lead to wildfires.
Looking ahead in the forecast, Xcel Energy is evaluating the potential need for a second Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event impacting mountain communities and parts of the Front Range on Friday, Dec. 19, beginning as early as 6 a.m. Although Douglas County is not included in the planned outage area, residents across the entire County should be aware that these conditions may also lead to unplanned outages. It is important that residents do not call 911 to report an outage.
Unincorporated Douglas County remains in a Stage 1 Fire Ban, restricting any open burning activities and the use of fireworks. The Douglas County Emergency Management teams and local fire departments are actively monitoring conditions and are prepared to respond quickly if a wildfire starts. Conditions are expected to be critically dry on Friday, increasing the potential for ignition. Resources and coordination plans are in place to support fire response, evacuations, and public safety if needed.
What to expect
Build a home emergency kit
Residents are encouraged to be prepared for an electric outage by keeping phones and other devices charged and building an outage kit with items that do not require electricity, including:
Traffic safety
As an important reminder to residents who have medical equipment that relies on electric service, please take steps to prepare for potential extended outages in case outages do occur. Xcel Energy will be conducting additional outreach for qualifying medical customers. Tips for how to prepare for an outage are available here.
Xcel Energy will notify potentially affected customers by phone, text, and email. Residents should ensure contact information is up to date with their utility provider and continue to monitor updates from Douglas County, Xcel Energy, and the National Weather Service.
Visit Xcel Energy’s Public Safety Power Shutoff Event Update page for the latest information and the outage map.
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