NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – After high winds and fire danger forced Xcel Energy to warn around 70,000 customers of power outages, the company says they have restored power to around 80% of those people. "We've made great progress since that time; the storm had to pass," says Wes Reeves with Xcel Energ y. While Xcel says it did shut off power for some customers on its own, the wind is responsible for a majority of the outages. PNM and Xcel Energy prepare for potential power outages during high winds According to the company, crews are working through the weekend, inspecting around 2,500 miles of de-energized lines while using drones and helicopters to speed up the process. With windy weather carrying dust around the region, Xcel says crews can work through it, but they will be taking more precautions. "Our crews have worked in smokey conditions and dusty conditions. They're able to do that; we just have to put a little more effort into protecting their airway and protecting their hands and all the things that could be damaged by heat and smoke and dry air," says Xcel Energy's Wes Reeves. The company says a majority of customers can expect their power to be restored by Sunday, but some areas with more extensive damage may still have an outage into Monday, but those are expected to be customers in Texas. ...read more read less