FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — Crews were mopping up Thursday but still bracing for more after hurricane-force wind downed power lines and fanned wildfires along the Colorado Front Range and onto the Great Plains.
Wind that in places topped 100 mph (160 kph) late Wednesday arrived after Xcel Energy protectively cut off power through much of its eastern Colorado service areas. The goal was to prevent downed lines from starting fires — and power lines were indeed blown down in several areas.
By Thursday afternoon, power was about 60% restored to the almost 700 miles (1,100 kilometers) of power lines the utility de-energized. Some 37,000 Xcel customers on the Front Range and into the Rocky Mountains were still without power.
Another round of outages was expected Friday, however, with a forecast for even stronger winds over a longer period.
While crews worked to restore power to customers already affected, even longer outages were likely Friday, the head of Xcel Energy-Colorado cautioned in a news conference.
“The power will not come back on the moment the wind event ends because we have to inspect the lines,” said the utility's president, Robert Kenney.
In central Denver, the power was out overnight, furniture was blown off apartment balconies, at least one apartment window was blown out and the ground was littered with blown-down branches Thursday.
Winds on Wednesday afternoon and into Thursday fanned wildfires of still-undetermined cause in eastern Colorado, burning at least 14,000 acres (5,700 hectares) in Yuma County, local emergency management officials said in a Facebook post.
A grass fire on the south side of Cheyenne, Wyoming, prompted a neighborhood's evacuation for several hours Wednesday evening. No structures burned, however.
Powerful gusts Thursday prompted closures of Interstates 25 and 80 in southeastern Wyoming to lightweight, high-profile vehicles though not other traffic. Unladen tractor-trailers whose drivers ignore such warnings are often seen blown over on the windy state's highways, prompting jokes that the trucks are just taking a rest.
“If your commercial hauler is in need of a good night’s sleep we would highly recommend the windblown plains of I-80, I-25, or I-90,” the Wyoming Highway Patrol joked on Facebook, adding: “For the low, low cost of a Driving on Closed Roads Citation ($1,000+).”
High winds and red flag fire warnings were in effect, meanwhile, across much of Kansas on Thursday. Blowing dust reduced visibility so much that a stretch of Interstate 70 near the state’s western line with Colorado closed, the Kansas Department of Transportation said in a news release.
The release urged motorists to consider delaying non-essential travel.
In the Pacific Northwest, heavy rain continued falling along with snow in the mountains. Rivers in Washington had fallen since recent flooding inundated communities, damaged roads and prompted more than 600 rescues.
Parts of southern Oregon and northern California including the San Francisco Bay area were expected to see several inches (centimeters) of rain and strong winds Friday and into the weekend.
Then on Christmas Eve, a Pineapple Express, a stronger atmospheric river that originates in the tropics near Hawaii, could arrive in northern California. The forecast brought hope to ski resort operators that much anticipated precipitation will extend into the Sierra Nevada, where very little snow has fallen this season.
Elsewhere, a blizzard was bringing as much as 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snow to northern North Dakota and Minnesota before it heads into Wisconsin and other areas eastward over the next couple days.
Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City; Christopher Weber in Los Angeles; Gene Johnson in Seattle; Jack Dura in Bismarck, N.D.; and David Zalubowski in Denver contributed.
Xcel Energy workers toil to repair power lines on a street closed after hurricane-force winds whipped through the metropolitan area and interrupted service to residents Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Xcel Energy workers work to repair power lines on a street closed after hurricane-force winds whipped through the metropolitan area and interrupted service to residents, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
A couch that was blown off the balcony of a high-rise condominium building sits crumpled after falling to the street as hurricane-force winds whipped through the area Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A business jet carrying seven people, including retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family, crashed Thursday at an airport in North Carolina, killing everyone aboard, authorities said.
The Cessna C550 erupted into a large fire when it hit the ground. It had departed Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Charlotte, but soon crashed while trying to return and land, North Carolina Highway Patrol said.
Flight records show the plane was registered to a company run by Biffle.
“Although the post-crash fire prevents us from releasing a definitive list of the occupants at this time, it is believed that Mr. Gregory Biffle and members of his immediate family were occupants of the airplane,” state police said.
He was on the plane with his wife, Cristina, and children Ryder and Emma. Others on the plane were identified as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth.
Biffle, 55, won more than 50 races across NASCAR’s three circuits, including 19 at the Cup Series level. He also won the Trucks Series championship in 2000 and the Xfinity Series title in 2002.
NASCAR said it was devastated by the news.
“Greg was more than a champion driver; he was a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many,” NASCAR said. “His passion for racing, his integrity, and his commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting impact on the sport.”
The plane, bound for Florida, took off from the Statesville airport shortly after 10 a.m., according to tracking data posted by FlightAware.com.
Golfers playing next to the airport were shocked as they witnessed the disaster, even dropping to the ground at the Lakewood Golf Club while the plane was overhead. The ninth hole was covered with debris.
“We were like, ‘Oh my gosh! That’s way too low,’” said Joshua Green of Mooresville. “It was scary.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were investigating. AccuWeather says there was some drizzle and clouds at the time of the crash.
The Cessna plane, built in 1981, is a popular mid-sized business jet with an excellent reputation, aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said. It has two engines and typically seats six to eight passengers.
In 2024, Biffle was honored for his humanitarian efforts after Hurricane Helene struck the U.S., even using his personal helicopter to deliver aid to flooded, remote western North Carolina.
“The last time I spoke with Cristina, just a couple of weeks ago, she reached out to ask how she could help with relief efforts in Jamaica. That’s who the Biffles were," U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, a Republican from North Carolina, said.
Wadsworth was Biffle's friend and helped him with odd jobs, including delivering supplies to places hit by Hurricane Helene, roommate Benito Howell said.
“He didn’t know how to say no,” Howell said of Wadsworth, who had worked for several NASCAR teams. “He loved everybody. He always tried to help everybody.”
With 2025 almost over, there have been 1,331 U.S. crashes this year investigated by the NTSB, from two-seat planes to commercial aircraft, compared to a total of 1,482 in 2024.
Major air disasters around the world in 2025 include the plane-helicopter collision that killed 67 in Washington, the Air India crash that killed 260 in India, and a crash in Russia’s Far East that claimed 48 lives. Fourteen people, including 11 on the ground, died in a UPS cargo plane crash in Kentucky.
This story corrects the sheriff's first name to Darren, not Grant.
Robertson reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, Jenna Fryer in Charlotte, North Carolina; Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; Ed White in Detroit; and Sarah Brumfield in Washington contributed to this story.
FILE - Former driver Greg Biffle waves to fans prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Darlington Raceway, Aug. 31, 2025, in Darlington, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)
FILE - Greg Biffle smiles along pit row during qualifying for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Friday, Aug. 31, 2012, in Hampton, Ga. (AP Photo/David Tulis, File)
FILE - Greg Biffle celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, in Kansas City, Kan. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, File)
First responders tend to the scene of a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
First responders tend to the scene of a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
First responders tend to the scene of a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
This screengrab made from video provided by WSOC shows firefighting crews responding to a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., erupting in a large fire, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2025. (WSOC via AP)
