Texas sues utility company to recover damages from historic wildfire

Key Highlights

• The Minnesota-based company has acknowledged its equipment appeared to have sparked the wildfire.
• But the lawsuit claims the company had neglected to replace aging utility poles in the windswept Panhandle, some of which were nearly 100 years old and more than twice their typical lifespan of 40 years.“Xcel’s blatant negligence killed three Texans and caused unfathomable destruction in the Texas Panhandle,” Paxton said.
• “The company made false representations about its safety commitments and ignored warnings that its aging infrastructure needed immediate repair and to be updated.”Rob Reiner's son arrested for murder in stabbing death of famed director, wifeDec 15, 6:39 PMPerson of interest in Brown University shooting being released without charges: MayorDec 14, 11:10 PMTrump admin live updates: Trump pardons former entertainment exec indicted by own DOJDec 4, 6:23 AMThe fatalities related to the fire included a woman who was overtaken by flames after getting out of her truck, and another woman whose remains were found in her burned home.
• A fire chief in one of the hardest hit towns died while responding to a house fire. The company disputed Paxton's claims of negligence and noted it had already accepted responsibility for equipment failure.
• Xcel said it has already paid out more than $361 million to settle 212 of 254 claims.“When the Attorney General’s office approached us earlier this year requesting information, we worked with them in good faith to try and find a consensus solution,” Xcel said in a statement.