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Black Hills Energy has issued a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) watch for the Curt Gowdy and Harriman areas west of Cheyenne, warning that power may be temporarily cut on Thursday from late morning into the early evening to reduce wildfire risk. Residents should treat the alert as immediate — outages could last from a few hours to several days while crews inspect and repair lines.
The utility says the precautionary step targets locations with elevated wildfire danger and would affect roughly 370 customers if conditions don’t improve. Company officials emphasize that preventing equipment-related ignitions is the primary goal and that PSPS actions are reserved as a last resort when weather and vegetation conditions create significant hazard.
Notification and timing
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Black Hills Energy plans to notify impacted customers through multiple channels, including text messages and emails, and will provide updates via local media and the company website. However, the utility warns that if conditions deteriorate quickly, power may be shut off with little or no advance notice.
If lines are de-energized during a PSPS event, power will not be restored until crews confirm conditions are safe, complete inspections and make any necessary repairs. Depending on the scope of those checks and fixes, outages may last from several hours up to several days.
Who could be affected
The watch covers the Curt Gowdy and Harriman communities west of Cheyenne and is limited in scale. Still, the implications extend beyond inconvenience: communications, refrigeration for medicines and operation of electrically powered medical equipment can all be disrupted.
How to prepare
- Update your contact details with Black Hills Energy so you receive alerts promptly.
- Assemble an emergency kit with water, nonperishable food, flashlights, batteries and a battery-powered radio.
- Make a plan for refrigerated medication — consider a cooler with ice packs or an alternate location that has power.
- Identify backup power options for essential medical devices, such as a generator or a battery pack, and know how long they can run safely.
- Charge phones and power banks ahead of the expected outage window.
- Check on neighbors who may need extra help, especially older adults or people with mobility or medical needs.
Local emergency responders urge residents to keep contact information current with the utility and to consult the Black Hills Energy website for ongoing updates and safety tips. If you encounter downed power lines, stay clear and call 911 immediately.
The move underscores a broader shift among utilities in fire-prone regions toward proactive shutdowns during high-risk weather. For residents, the practical stakes are clear: short-term inconvenience in exchange for reducing the chance of a wildfire that could cause far greater harm to life and property.
