PNM cuts off power to Las Vegas due to high wind and wildfire risk

The state’s biggest electrical utility said it shut off power to about 2,300 customers in Las Vegas Thursday in a pre-emptive move to prevent wildfires. 

PNM says it initiated the “public safety power shutoff” at 11:30 a.m. in the Northern New Mexico town. The outage could last up to 48 hours depending on conditions, officials said.

The area is experiencing extreme fire conditions, thanks to prolonged drought, large buildup of fuel, high temperatures, low humidity and increased winds, according to PNM. A National Weather Service high wind warning says gusts could reach 65 mph. 

“The decision to shut off power will be made only as a last resort to protect lives and property from the threat of wildfire,” PNM officials said in a news release earlier Thursday.

All of New Mexico is under either a high wind or Red Flag warning imposed by the National Weather Service, which indicates high wildfire risk. The high wind warning is in effect through most of northwestern New Mexico, including Las Vegas, and the Red Flag warning is in effect everywhere else. 

PNM has warned repeatedly this year that it could impose  pre-emptive power shutoffs, including in East Mountains of Albuquerque, Las Vegas and elsewhere, though it had not yet done so until Thursday. 

The utility has never done a pre-emptive shutoff before, officials said at a recent news conference, but said it is increasingly necessary due to extreme wildfire conditions.

The utility has also been sued for wildfires in recent years, including the McBride Fire in Ruidoso. A law firm accused it of negligence for allowing a tree to be blown onto a powerline it controls, but the utility has denied any liability.