The largest wildfire in Texas state history blazes on as utility provider Xcel Energy says their facilities played a role in igniting the fire.
A helicopter carries a bucket as it flies over homes burned by the Smokehouse Creek Fire, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Canadian, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Texas, United States (NCC News/AP)—Wildfires in the Texas panhandle have left more than a million acres of land devastated, Texas officials say. The fires began last week and are the largest in state history, officials added. The Smokehouse Creek Fire alone burned nearly 1,700 square miles, leaving hundreds of buildings and structures destroyed.
The fires were started in part by downed power lines, Texas A&M Forest Service fire investigators said. Xcel Energy, a Minnesota based utility provider, said their equipment appeared to have played a role in the Smokehouse Creek fire, but not the Windy Deuce fire that is blazing, too.
“Based on currently available information, Xcel Energy acknowledges that its equipment appear to have been involved in an ignition of the Smokehouse Creek fire,” company officials stated.
This is not the first time energy companies have been linked to wildfires. Downed power lines are said to have been the cause of several wildfires in Hawaii and California.