The Smokehouse Creek fire, the largest in Texas history, has burned over a million acres and destroyed dozens of homes. Xcel Energy, an electric utility company, has acknowledged that its facilities appear to have been involved in the ignition of the fire. The company is facing at least two lawsuits from homeowners and ranchers who claim that Xcel was negligent in maintaining and operating its power lines.
How the fire started
The Smokehouse Creek fire started on February 27, 2024, in the Texas Panhandle, a region known for its dry and windy conditions. According to the Texas Forest Service, the fire was sparked by a fallen power pole owned by Xcel Energy’s subsidiary, Southwestern Public Service Company. However, the pole was reportedly in poor condition and had not been inspected or repaired for years.
The fire quickly spread across the grasslands, fueled by strong winds and low humidity. It reached temperatures exceeding 100 million°C, nearly seven times hotter than the core of the sun. The fire has been connected to two deaths and at least 64 homes destroyed, according to Xcel.
The lawsuits against Xcel
Xcel Energy, which provides power and natural gas to parts of Texas and seven other U.S. states, has disputed “claims that it acted negligently in maintaining and operating its infrastructure.” The company said in a statement that it encourages people with property or livestock losses to submit claims directly to the utility.
However, some of the affected parties have decided to take legal action against Xcel. A homeowner who said their home was burned in the Smokehouse fire sued Xcel on March 3, 2024, seeking damages for negligence, breach of contract, and violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
A second lawsuit was filed on March 6, 2024, on behalf of a North Texas ranch that claimed that Xcel had a duty to maintain safe electrical equipment, but failed to do so, leading to the Smokehouse fire. The lawsuit said the fire killed cattle and damaged buildings on the ranch, among other harms.
The implications for the future
The Smokehouse Creek fire is not the first time that Xcel Energy has been linked to a major wildfire. The company also faces hundreds of lawsuits in Colorado, where the costliest wildfire on record in the state, the Marshall Fire, killed two people and destroyed nearly 1,100 homes in December 2021. The company denies that its power lines were to blame.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire and the Marshall Fire are examples of how climate change and aging infrastructure can create a deadly combination of wildfires. Moreover, experts warn that more frequent and intense droughts, heat waves, and wind storms will increase the risk of power line ignitions and fire spread.
To prevent future disasters, some possible solutions include burying power lines underground, installing sensors and switches to detect and shut off faulty lines, and increasing inspections and maintenance of power poles and wires. These measures, however, require significant investments and coordination from utility companies, regulators, and customers.
The Smokehouse Creek fire is still burning as of March 7, 2024, but firefighters have managed to contain 80% of it. The Texas Forest Service said it expects to have the fire fully contained by March 15, 2024. The recovery and rebuilding efforts for the affected communities will likely take much longer.
Source: Reuters
