One year after the largest wildfire in state history, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued the electric company responsible for causing the Smokehouse Creek wildfire.
Paxton issued a release on Tuesday, saying he is suing Southwestern Public Service Company, which operates in Texas as Xcel Energy, over downed power lines that sparked the deadly fire.
Paxton said in a release "Xcel's blatant negligence killed three Texans and caused unfathomable destruction in the Texas panhandle." The suit claims Xcel neglected to replace aging utility poles int eh area, some of which were nearly 100 years old. Xcel has admitted as well publicly that their utility pole was the source of the fire.
The suit seeks to recover economic damages suffered by the state, including property damage and the lost value of wildlife and habitat. The wildfire, the largest in Texas history, caused over $1 billion in economic damages, killed three people, and burned over one million acres of land.
Additionally, the state is seeking to enjoin Xcel, requiring the company to take corrective action, and includes civil penalties.
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