April 8 (Reuters) - Utility firm Xcel Energy said on Monday it was working to restore service to customers in Colorado after it voluntarily shut off power over the weekend to reduce wildfire concerns.

Parts of Central U.S., including Colorado, faced an elevated risk of fires over the last two days due to dry weather and high wind speeds.

The company initiated a shutoff of power to 55,000 customers in areas at highest risk and de-energized 600 miles of power lines.

Xcel said currently 49,000 customers are without power and expects to resolve 80% to 90% of the outages by the end of the day.

The utility faces hundreds of lawsuits in Colorado for the 2021 Marshall Fire, which destroyed nearly 1,100 homes and killed two people. The company maintains that its power lines were not to blame for the fire. (Reporting by Kabir Dweit in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)