Xcel Blames Road Chemicals for Colorado Power Outages

Xcel Energy is blaming chemicals used to keep roads clear of snow for outages that left up to 23,000 people without power and heat.

The company says emergency crews had to put out utility pole fires and clear downed power lines across the Denver metro area due to strong winds during a snowstorm on Tuesday.

The company tells KUSA-TV dirt and magnesium chloride kicked by cars on the road piles up on power lines and can cause electricity jump to the wood pole, catching it on fire.