East Mountain Outage Closes Vista Grande Center

A power outage affecting the East Mountains forced the closure of the Vista Grande Community Center on Nov. 2. The facility will remain closed until officials confirm it is safe to reopen. The Whispering Pines Senior Center also lost power, disrupting its standard schedule.

Despite the outage, Whispering Pines continues to provide grab-and-go lunch service for senior residents. County staff are monitoring the situation closely. They plan to post updates on facility operations at www.bernco.gov as new information becomes available.

To assist residents, the Los Vecinos Community Center at 478 NM-333 in Tijeras remains open. The center offers a safe indoor space for people to charge electronic devices and clean up. It serves as a central hub while utility crews work to restore electricity in the affected areas.

County officials issued specific safety guidelines for residents dealing with the blackout. They advised turning off appliances like stoves and unplugging electrical equipment. Residents should keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed to preserve food. Officials recommended turning off all lights except one to easily spot when power returns.

Safety measures also include using flashlights or flameless LED candles for emergency lighting. Generators must never be operated inside a home or garage. These steps aim to reduce the risk of fire and carbon monoxide exposure during the extended outage.