Company Admits Role in Record-Breaking Wildfire Now Burning Through Texas
After the Smokehouse Creek fire killed two people as well as thousands of cattle in Texas over nearly two weeks, residents are starting to get some answers.
A utility company released a statement Thursday that acknowledged it played a role in the start of the state’s largest wildfire.
Xcel Energy said in a statement that it “has been cooperating with the investigations into the wildfires and has been conducting its own review.”
“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.
The wildfire, which started last week, has destroyed more than 60 homes in the Texas Panhandle, according to The Texas Tribune.
The outlet reported that Xcel was accused of failing to maintain its power lines in a lawsuit filed last week by residents affected by the fire.
“Homeowner Melanie McQuiddy filed the initial lawsuit against the company in Hemphill County on Friday, claiming that a splintered pole ignited the fire when it fell,” the Tribune reported.
The company, however, said in its statement Thursday that it “disputes claims that it acted negligently in maintaining and operating its infrastructure.”
Still, Xcel encouraged those who suffered property damage or loss of livestock to reach out through its claims process.
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“Xcel Energy, through our Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS) subsidiary, has operated in the Texas Panhandle for more than 100 years,” Bob Frenzel, the company’s chairman, president and CEO, said in a statement. “The people in this region are our friends, neighbors and relatives.
“We are deeply saddened by the losses incurred in this community, and we are committed to supporting its renewal and recovery.”
Xcel also addressed the nearly Windy Deuce wildfire, saying it was “not aware of any allegation that Xcel Energy’s facilities caused this fire.”
While the company is stepping up to take responsibility for what occurred, that fails to change the fact that so much has already been lost — above all the lives of two women.
With over 1 million acres in the Panhandle being burned to ash, experts are saying it could take many years before the area has recovered.
According to The Washington Post, many of the barns and other ranch structures that were destroyed aren’t covered by insurance.
Xcel’s claims process could help farmers get funds that insurance isn’t providing, but that doesn’t account for the lost production time as ranchers rebuild.
And the cattle themselves are in tatters.
One rancher told CNN that he returned home to find 50 cattle dead with the animals dying painful deaths.
“Your job is to keep them alive, not to destroy them,” Shane Pennington said. “It’s tough.”
But even the ones still alive may not stay so for very long.
“Even if they survive it, more than likely they’re gonna get pneumonia, they’re gonna get sick, they’re gonna die,” Pennington said.
Farmers and ranchers face a long and tumultuous road ahead as they work toward recovering what was lost.
Unfortunately, some things can never be recovered — such as the lives of 83-year-old substitute teacher Joyce Blankenship and 44-year-old truck driver Cindy Owen.
May God rest their souls.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
