As Utilities Cut Power to Prevent Wildfires, Nursing Homes Are Left in the Dark
Preemptive power cuts have become more widespread, and nursing homes are being forced to evaluate their preparedness.
When powerful wind gusts created threatening wildfire conditions one day near Boulder, Colorado, the state’s largest utility cut power to 52,000 homes and businesses — including Frasier, an assisted living and skilled nursing facility. It was the first time Xcel Energy preemptively switched off electricity in Colorado as a wildfire prevention tool, according to a company official. The practice...