Xcel Energy utility equipment started Texas wildfire, a homeowner says in lawsuit

A Texas homeowner whose house was destroyed by a massive wildfire raging northeast of Amarillo sued electric utility Xcel Energy on Friday, alleging that a splintered power pole owned by the company fell and started the blaze.

The lawsuit by homeowner Melanie McQuiddy, filed in state court in Hemphill County, claims the power pole owned by Xcel subsidiary Southwestern Public Service Company was in bad physical shape before it fell and caused the fire.

The Smokehouse Creek Fire has killed at least two people and has grown into the largest wildfire in state history since it started on Monday in the Texas Panhandle.

McQuiddy claims Xcel had a duty to maintain safe electrical equipment, but negligently failed to properly repair and inspect its power line poles, leading to the fire.

“Xcel will pay for every dollar that its wildfire has caused,” said her attorney Mikal Watts.

The lawsuit also names Osmose Utilities Services as a defendant, which it said was hired to help inspect Xcel’s power lines but did not adequately do so.

Xcel and Osmose did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Xcel shares fell 8% on Thursday after the company disclosed a letter it received from a law firm that said the electric utility could be held liable for damages resulting from the wildfire.

The Smokehouse Creek Fire had blackened more than 1,078,000 acres (436,251 hectares) of grasslands and timber as of Friday morning, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service, which said the fire was 15% contained at that time.

The blaze and others burning in the region have destroyed grain in storage bins and likely killed tens of thousands of livestock, state Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said on Thursday.