Xcel Energy is warning its customers along the Front Range to be prepared for possible power outages this week as the risk of wildfire surges due to hot and dry weather.

“Due to the elevated risk of wildfire, enhanced powerline safety settings are active across out Front Range service territory,” according to a social media post from the utility. The settings make the powerlines more sensitive and prompt a line to stop the flow of electricity if an object touches a line.

The highest risk for wildfire danger will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday, when strong gusty winds are forecasted, according to the National Weather Service.

Humidity could be as low as 10% and winds may top 25 mph, leading to critical and extremely critical fire weather between Thursday and Saturday, forecasters said.

Tens of thousands of customers have lost power in recent months from planned outages during fire danger and powerline damage from high winds.

In December, 86,040 Xcel customers lost power because of a mix of planned shutoffs and downed powerlines from high winds. The decision led some customers to criticize the utility, asking it to fine-tune its weather responses.

Some schools in northern Colorado schools preemptively canceled classes in January after Xcel announced a planned power shutoff for 9,000 customers in the area.

HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK (HawaiiNewsNow) – The U.S. Geological Survey has upgraded the Kilauea alert level to a Volcano Warning due to fallout of the latest high-fountaining at Halemaumau crater.

The National Weather Service also issued an ashfall warning until 5 p.m. Tuesday for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and communities to the northeast, including Volcano, Glenwood and Mountain View.

Episode 43 began Tuesday at 9:17 a.m. HST with more than a quarter-inch of accumulated tephra, including ash and other volcanic particles, reported within the first 90 minutes.

The USGS said fallout up to the size of footballs was reported at lookouts within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, creating hazardous ground conditions.

The National Weather Service said the plume from this episode rose to 25,000 feet. Surface level winds are reported coming from a southerly direction, which means that volcanic gas emissions and fallout may be distributed to areas northeast of the summit.

Communities adjacent and downwind of the eruption need to take necessary precautions for elevated tephra fallout and volcanic gases.

Closures in effect, shelter open

Highway 11 is closed on either side of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (HVNP) at mile markers 24 and 40. HVNP is also closed.

The County of Hawaiʻi has opened a shelter at Kaʻū District Gym, 96-1219 Kamani St., Pāhala, for residents and visitors impacted by the road closure or falling tephra.

Safety information

Volcanic tephra, including ash, can irritate eyes, skin, and the respiratory system. Take necessary precautions to limit exposure.

• If you have a respiratory condition, avoid contact with ash. Stay indoors until it is safe to go outside.
• Close doors and windows, where possible.
• Wear masks, gloves and eye protection when in contact with ash.
• Do not drive in heavy ashfall.

Tephra also can clog and cause other problems with water catchment collection systems.

• Temporarily disconnect the gutters feeding into the tank. Do not reconnect the system until the volcanic hazards (i.e. ash, laze, Pele’s hair in the air) have passed and the ash and debris are washed off the roof, out of the gutters and the tank.

Use caution when clearing rooftops of ash.

Road closures may occur without warning.

Click here for updates on Kilauea.

Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

IDAHO FALLS — Two local grocery stores are closing their doors, along with 34 others across the country, after their CEO announced last quarter that sales were unacceptable.

On Friday, the Grocery Outlets in Idaho Falls and Pocatello announced on Facebook that they’ll be closing their doors by March 21.

The Idaho Falls Grocery Outlet first opened its doors in July 2022, and the one in Pocatello opened in April 2023.

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EastIdahoNews.com contacted the operators of the Idaho Falls Grocery Outlet and was referred to corporate. They did not respond to a request for comment.

However, on March 4, Grocery Outlet CEO James Potter spoke during an earnings call with investors, on the closure of the stores in Idaho and across the country. Potter told investors during the call that the company’s fourth-quarter results were “unacceptable.”

“Our outlook for 2026 reflects a business with more work to do than we expected,” Potter said. “I own this, and I own fixing these issues.”

Potter said 36 stores were identified as lacking a viable path to sustained profitability despite the company’s support. The majority of the identified stores were located on the East Coast.

“However, it’s clear that we expanded too quickly and that these closures are a direct correction,” Potter said.

According to a list on Gordon Brothers’ website, a third store in Idaho will also close in Smelterville, located in Idaho’s panhandle. The investment firm’s website shows that all 36 locations are available for sublease.

With these closers, Potter said the company hopes to bring back $12 million and free up resources to assist other stores in different markets.