"Texas Utility Admits Role in Starting Massive Smokehouse Creek Fire"

Electric utility Xcel Energy acknowledges that its equipment likely played a role in igniting the massive Smokehouse Creek Fire in Texas, which has become the largest wildfire in state history, consuming over a million acres and causing significant destruction. The company faces lawsuits from affected individuals and disputes claims of negligence, while encouraging those impacted to submit claims through its process. This incident reflects a pattern of utilities being held accountable for wildfires caused by equipment failures, as seen in previous cases involving Hawaiian Electric, PG&E in California, and Xcel in Colorado.