MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Texas blames a Minnesota-based electric company for the largest wildfire in the state's history. Last year's fire killed at least three people. A lawsuit also claims a billion dollars in losses. Samantha Larned of KTTZ reports.
SAMANTHA LARNED, BYLINE: The Smokehouse Creek Fire was the largest of several wildfires that ravaged more than 1 million acres of land in what's known as the Texas Panhandle. The investigation by the Texas A&M Forest Service at the request of the state found the fire was caused by a power line, which was knocked down by 70-mile-per-hour winds. The power line was operated by Xcel Energy. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in the lawsuit that Xcel Energy made, quote, "false representations about its safety commitments," unquote, and ignored infrastructure needs. Xcel Energy said in a statement yesterday that it worked in good faith with the attorney general's office earlier this year in reaching an agreement. Adrian Rodriguez is an executive with Xcel Energy. In April, he testified to a state legislative committee investigating the wildfires.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
ADRIAN RODRIGUEZ: The pole failed, but we were not negligent in our care of the pole given the high winds that occurred on that day.
LARNED: Xcel says it has agreed to pay $361 million to settle 212 claims. Jason Abraham is the owner of a ranch affected by the fires. Earlier this year, he said ranchers were still dealing with the fallout.
JASON ABRAHAM: We've done this too many times, and you never get the pictures of all the dead animals you see that were burned alive.
LARNED: It is estimated that more than 15,000 cows died as a result of the fires. In the 2025 Texas legislative session, lawmakers increased oversight and notification requirements of two state agencies responsible for inspecting utility infrastructure.
For NPR News, I'm Samantha Larned in Lubbock.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
