Expect To See Drones Over Jefferson County Through September

JEFFERSON COUNTY, CO — Jefferson County residents can expect to see drones in the sky over the next two months, Xcel Energy said. The utility company is flying the unmanned aerial system drones as part of its Wildfire Mitigation Program.

Xcel Energy's contract crews will perform inspections with the drones through September, officials said.

The drones will fly above Xcel Energy poles, lines and wires to take photos and identify potential fire hazards.

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"Xcel Energy will notify residents near inspection sites by outbound phone call," Jefferson County's Department of Development and Transportation said.

Xcel Energy launched the Wildfire Protection Program in 2019 to "identify, evaluate, and proactively minimize" the risk of wildfire caused by the company's infrastructure. Over the past year, Xcel has inspected and replaced more than 2,300 wood poles.

The program includes work in 17 Colorado counties: Jefferson, Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Larimer, Summit, Garfield, Mesa, Eagle, Park, Rio Grande, Lake, Chaffee, Alamosa, Costilla, Conejos and Saguache.