Texas Panhandle wildfire: Utility provider may have caused Smokehouse Creek Fire

TEXAS - Downed power lines sparked the massive fire in the Texas Panhandle. Officials with XCEL Energy on Thursday said the company’s equipment appears to have played a role in igniting the Smokehouse Creek Fire. 

It’s a cause that's similar to what happened 12 years ago with the Bastrop Complex Fire.

The Bastrop Complex Fire, which, up until now, was the largest wildfire to hit the state, was caused because tree limbs knocked down a power line. The incident then brought about calls for better Right of Way maintenance, and a lawsuit filed this week, in response to the Smokehouse Creek Fire, alleges poor maintenance caused the crisis in the Panhandle. 

The Smokehouse Creek Fire started early last week. It has burned more than a million acres, destroyed more than 500 structures, and is linked to two deaths. It may also be a contributing factor to the death of a fire chief in Fritch, who died Tuesday working on an unrelated house fire.

In the statement released by Xcel Energy, a Minnesota-based company, officials disputed claims of negligence in maintaining and operating its infrastructure. It was also stated that they do not believe their equipment caused the Windy Deuce Fire, which is located northwest of Amarillo.

Below is the full statement from Xcel Energy:

"Our thoughts continue to be with the families and communities impacted by the wildfires in the Texas Panhandle. We are also grateful for the courageous first responders that have worked to fight the fires and help save lives and property.

As longstanding members of the west Texas community, we will continue to support our neighbors in this recovery, and we thank our frontline workers who have worked long hours over the past several days to restore electrical service to those who can receive power in the impacted areas.

Xcel Energy 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.

Xcel Energy disputes claims that it acted negligently in maintaining and operating its infrastructure; however, we encourage people who had property destroyed by or livestock lost in the Smokehouse Creek fire to submit a claim to Xcel Energy through our claims process. We will review and respond to any such claims in an expeditious manner, with a priority on claims from any person that lost their home in the Smokehouse Creek fire. A claim form and instructions for submission can be found by visiting www.xcelenergy.com and scrolling to the bottom righthand side of that page, to the "Claims Process" link under Customer Support Claims Services | Customer Support | XcelEnergy.

Xcel Energy notes that the Windy Deuce fire reportedly impacted many structures in and around Fritch, Texas. Xcel does not believe that its facilities caused the ignition of the Windy Deuce fire, and we are not aware of any allegation that Xcel Energy’s facilities caused this fire.

Based on preliminary information disclosed by authorities on March 5, Xcel Energy understands that 47 occupied homes in Hemphill County and up to 17 occupied homes in Roberts County were destroyed by the Smokehouse Creek fire. With respect to Hutchinson County, which was impacted by both the Smokehouse Creek fire and the Windy Deuce fire, Xcel Energy’s preliminary understanding based on the areas impacted is that the number of occupied homes lost due to the Smokehouse Creek fire appear to be fewer than in Hemphill County. These numbers are subject to change as more information becomes available.

Xcel Energy will continue to work with regulators and policymakers to evaluate the evolving nature of the wildfire risk and advance effective wildfire mitigation strategies to keep the public safe and our systems resilient.

Statement from Bob Frenzel, Chairman, President and CEO of Xcel Energy:

"Xcel Energy, through our Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS) subsidiary, has operated in the Texas Panhandle for more than 100 years. 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."

The utility's announcement comes as state officials say the fire is about 74% contained. 

Analyst Ed Hirs, a University of Houston Energy Fellow, told FOX 7 he is not surprised a powerline problem, exposed more than a decade ago in Bastrop County, is a problem again.

"You know, utilities look at line maintenance as a cost center. And so, in order to minimize their costs, they tend to skip over and, and space out any kind of inspections. It's not just what we learned in Bastrop. We can learn this from looking across the nation and California, those massive fatal fires from the 2020 summer. Those were caused by old power lines, transmission lines that hadn't been looked at in years," said Hirs. 

Legislative hearings should be held at the State Capitol in Hirs’ opinion.

"The representatives and senators from that area need to be calling for hearings. And frankly, everyone around the state needs to. I mean, we know what happened last February in Austin when the trees fell and knocked out Austin during that freeze. The power was off to most of the city for more than four days," said Hirs.

State Representative Ellen Troxclair, (R) of Lakeway, who is on the Texas House Homeland Security Committee, told FOX 7 she will ask for hearings on the Panhandle fires. 

One of the most frustrating things for Hirs, is that the fires in Bastrop County and Hutchinson County apparently were avoidable.

"Absolutely. It was avoidable just as the ERCOT catastrophe in 2021 was avoidable. We had predicted that years before. You know, I think the real question here is, will the legislature try to do anything to hold anyone accountable," said Hirs. 

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In 2019, state lawmakers did pass legislation requiring power line inspection reports. The state Public Utility Commission, in 2020, started requiring electric service providers to submit annual reports on vertical clearance and safety. 

FOX 7 was not able to locate the PUC report filed by Xcel Energy's Texas subsidiary, Southwestern Public Service Company. An updated report is not due until 2025.

Accountability may only come by way of civil lawsuits, but Hirs warned even that process may not be successful.

"I think that's the only way we'll see it. We haven't seen the Texas Legislature and the governor stand up and drive for accountability with the public utility commission or ERCOT or anyone in the electricity supply chain. But as we found with the hundreds of lawsuits pending now because of the freeze in 2021, the courts have agreed that nobody seems to be accountable or held accountable. It's because it's run by the government," said Hirs.