Utility provider Xcel Energy acknowledged that its power lines were involved in starting the Smokehouse Creek fire in Texas, the largest fire in the state's history. The company issued a statement explaining that its investigations arrived to that conclusion. However, it denied any negligence in maintenance and operation of the power lines.
The information was made public after the release of a report from the Texas A&M Forest Service revealing that the power lines were the cause of two forest fires that have burned more than 1 million acres.
"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 said.
Meanwhile, state investigators explained in the report obtained by The New York Times that "power lines had caused both that fire and another, known as the Windy Deuce fire, that burned around the same time, incinerating homes in the town of Fritch last month."
However, this claim was denied by Xcel Energy. "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," wrote Xcel.
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.
