A utility company on Thursday acknowledged its role in sparking the largest wildfire in Texas history, has burned for almost two weeks, claiming two lives, destroying hundreds of buildings and killing thousands of cattle.
“Based on currently available information, Xcel Energy acknowledges that its facilities appear to have been involved in an ignition of the Smokehouse Creek fire,” the Minnesota-based company said in a statement. It did not provide details about what infrastructure was involved.
The company also said it “disputes claims that it acted negligently,” likely addressing a lawsuit filed last week that alleges a dilapidated power pole operated by a subsidiary of Xcel collapsed and started the historic blaze.
On Feb. 26 a cluster of wildfires broke out in the Texas Panhandle and quickly spread over several rural counties and into neighboring Oklahoma, fueled by unseasonably dry conditions and strong winds. The largest of the blazes, the Smokehouse Creek Fire, has ripped through over 1,650 square miles, more than five times the land area of New York City.
Erin O’Connor, a spokesperson for the Texas A&M Forest Service, said Thursday that power lines ignited the Smokehouse Creek Fire and the nearby Windy Deuce Fire. Xcel Energy said it’s facilities did not contribute to the Windy Deuce Fire, which has burned over 225 square miles.
“Our thoughts continue to be with the families and communities impacted by the wildfires in the Texas Panhandle,” Xcel said in a statement. “We are also grateful for the courageous first responders that have worked to fight the fires and help save lives and property.”
The company, which delivers electric and natural gas to more than 3.7 million customers in eight states, encouraged those who lost property or cattle in the Smokehouse Creek Fire to file a claim.
On Feb. 28, two days after the blazes ignited, a law firm sent a letter to Xcel notifying the company “of potential exposure for damages” and requesting that a fallen utility pole near “the fire’s potential area of origin be preserved,” according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Lawsuit says Xcel’s negligence caused fire; company disputes claim
Last week, Melanie McQuidd, a homeowner in Stinnett, a city where several houses were destroyed, filed a lawsuit against Xcel Energy Services and two other utilities, alleging the record-setting fire started “when a wooden pole defendants failed to properly inspect, maintain and replace, splintered and snapped off at its base.”
“As a result of the utility, powered utility lines hit the ground, igniting a fire, which spread quickly into an uncontrollable conflagration,” the complaint says.
Mikal Watts, an attorney representing McQuidd, said in an email to USA TODAY that a downed and “heavily depredated” utility pole is present where satellite video, wind direction and meteorology records have shown the fire started.
Watts said Osmose Utilities Services, a company that inspects poles for Xcels’ subsidiary, placed red tags on the pole when it analyzed its condition earlier this year, indicating that it’s “not safe to be climbed and needs to be replaced immediately.”
Xcel has denied allegations that negligence played a role in igniting the unprecedented fire. Osmose, which was named in the lawsuit, has not returned USA TODAY’s request for comment.
Are the fires still burning?
Seventy-four percent of the Smokehouse Creek Fire has been contained as of Thursday afternoon, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. Officials estimate that the fire will be completely contained by next Thursday.
Authorities said the Windy Deuce and Grape Vine Creek fires were by 89% and 96% contained, respectively.
Hundreds of firefighters and other first responders were most recently focused on mopping up heat spots within the perimeter of the Smokehouse Creek Fire. Following a rise in temperature that threatened flare-ups throughout the day, a cold front is expected to bring more moisture, aiding efforts to quell the flames.
Contributing: Associated Press
