"The Smokehouse Creek fire killed three people in 2024, burning through more than 1,500 square miles (3,885 square kilometers) in Texas before spilling into neighboring Oklahoma. Texas A&M Forest Service investigators determined it was ignited when a decayed utility pole snapped and fell, dropping Xcel power lines onto dry grass."
"The Minnesota-based company has acknowledged its equipment appeared to have sparked the wildfire. But the lawsuit claims the company had neglected to replace aging utility poles in the windswept Panhandle, some of which were nearly 100 years old and more than twice their typical lifespan of 40 years."
""Xcel's blatant negligence killed three Texans and caused unfathomable destruction in the Texas Panhandle," Paxton said. "The company made false representations about its safety commitments and ignored warnings that its aging infrastructure needed immediate repair and to be updated.""
Texas filed a lawsuit against Southwestern Public Service Company (operating as Xcel Energy) accusing the utility of negligence after downed power lines sparked the Smokehouse Creek fire, causing over $1 billion in damage. The blaze killed three people, burned more than 1,500 square miles, destroyed homes and livestock, and spread into Oklahoma. Investigators found a decayed pole snapped and dropped power lines onto dry grass, igniting the fire. The suit alleges the company neglected to replace nearly century-old poles and seeks recovery of state economic losses and a prohibition on passing costs to customers. Xcel has acknowledged equipment involvement and paid settlements but disputes negligence claims.
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