High winds Wednesday downed power lines, snapped tree limbs and left as many as 1,000 homes in Lawrence without power for a time, utility and fire officials said.

The winds contributed to at least one fire: an attic fire at a home in the 500 block of Trail Court that started when strong winds caused power lines to fuse and created an electrical surge through the house.

From left, Southwest Junior High School eighth-graders Shaun James and Jesse Madrigal and seventh-graders Cole Woolsey and Sam Willoughby battle a fierce headwind at the all city track meet at Southwest.

Firefighters had the blaze under control by 4:23 p.m. It caused an estimated $15,000 damage, but no one was injured.

Less-damaging power outages were scattered throughout town during the day, said Karla Olsen, a Westar spokeswoman. By 5 p.m. power had been restored to all but about 130 residences throughout the city, she said.

“This is happening throughout our service area,” Olsen said. “In most cases we’re able to switch people over” to another line.

By 5 p.m., firefighters had responded to more than a half-dozen downed power lines across the city, said Mark Bradford, deputy chief with Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical.

Police responded to reports of tree limbs fallen in roadways throughout the day and the evening, officials said.

Winds blew throughout the day at speeds from 20 mph to 30 mph with gusts up to 48 mph, according to the National Weather Service in Topeka. By 11 p.m., wind speeds had decreased to less than 15 mph.