After a wildfire

After the Disaster

After the Disaster Guidebook - Toolkit for Landowners Impacted by Wildfire

Electrical Problems

After a wildfire, you should check your home for damage and electrical problems.

Step 1: Inspect your Meter

Locate your power meter and look for the following:

• Are numbers being displayed on the digital screen to your meter?
• If yes, your meter is working, and power has been restored to your home.
• If no, report an outage using one of the following methods.
  • SmartHub mobile app
  • Contact Grand Valley Power at 970-242-0040.
  • Contact Xcel Energy at 1-800-895-1999.
• If your digital meter displays numbers and your home's power is still off, proceed to step two.
   

Step 2: Reset your breaker box

• Safety Tip:  Be sure your hands are free of water and positioned on a dry surface before resetting your breakers.

• Bring a flashlight to help read the panel and switch labels.
• Open the breaker box.
• Each circuit breaker has three positions.
  • On
  • Off
  • Center
• If the switch is in the center position, the breaker has been tripped and must be reset.
• Reset your breaker by:
  • First, shift the switch from the center position to the off.
  • Then, move the switch from the off position to the on.
• Wait a moment to see if the switch stays in position.
  • If so, power has been restored to the affected room.
  • If the switch moves, this indicates that a serious electrical problem could be present.
  • Contact your local electrician for assistance.
     

Step 3: Contact Your power company

If you have any issues or concerns regarding your electric service or for outage updates and information on the estimated restoration time, please contact your electric company or visit their websites.

• Grand Valley Power at 970-242-0040 or the Grand Valley Power website.
• Xcel Energy at  1-800-895-1999 or the Xcel Energy website.

Learn more by visiting the Power Outage Safety Resources page on the Grand Valley Power website.