HIGH WINDS WREAK HAVOC IN LINCOLN

By Jon Mayhew

LINCOLN COUNTY -- Despite the welcome change to mild temperatures, the accompanying high winds that blew across Lincoln County caused problems Wednesday afternoon.

During the 3 o'clock hour, fire departments across the county were called to reports of trees being down across roads and power lines.

Locations included in front of Bethpage Lutheran Church on Highway 182; Daniels Road and Johnstown Road.

Some businesses also reported either flickering power from the high winds or power loss altogether.

Arbys on East Main Street, for example, had to stop serving customers for a short time Wednesday until their power stopped flickering on and off.

"We've tripped about 20 breakers in the store," said an employee.

In Denver, East Lincoln and Denver Fire Departments were even dispatched to a structure fire in the 7500 block of Bluff Point Lane, where a caller told the Lincoln County Communications Center that the front of a townhome was on fire.

Within minutes of receiving the call at 3:45pm, the homeowner called into the communications center to advise the fire had already been extinguished.

A roof of one of the tents at the Rock Springs Campground was also blown off by the high winds. According to radio traffic, the roof was lying at the back of the campground. No other damage at the historic campground was reported.

The National Weather Service had issued a high wind warning for Lincoln County, which expired just before midnight Wednesday. Wind speeds during the day were sustained at about 35 miles per hour, with gusts up to 50 miles per hour.