Energy News
FIRE STORM
US power company admits it might have started huge Texas fire
US power company admits it might have started huge Texas fire
by AFP Staff Writers
Houston (AFP) Mar 7, 2024
A US power company admitted Thursday that its equipment may have sparked the largest wildfire in Texas' history.

Xcel -- the parent of Southwest Public Service Company, which provides electricity to part of the state -- said it was working with officials investigating the cause of the blaze that charred more than a million acres (over 400,000 hectares).

"Based on currently available information, Xcel Energy acknowledges that its facilities appear to have been involved in an ignition of the Smokehouse Creek fire," the company said.

Hundreds of homes are thought to have been destroyed in the fire, which is known to have killed at least two people and over 3,000 farm animals.

Xcel, which is facing at least one lawsuit, denied its equipment was improperly maintained.

"However, we encourage people who had property destroyed by, or livestock lost in, the Smokehouse Creek fire to submit a claim to Xcel Energy through our claims process," the statement said.

The Washington Post reported the admission came after it saw evidence the grid in Texas was under stress in the hours before the blaze broke out in strong winds on February 26.

The paper said Whisker Labs, a firm that monitors electricity supply grids recorded 50 faults in the system.

These are typically logged when a power line has been toppled, or has touched trees -- events that typically result in the kind of sparks that can start fires in dry countryside.

It is not uncommon for US power companies to be blamed for destructive wildfires.

Hawaii's Maui county last year began legal action against the island's electricity provider over the deadly fires that leveled the historic town of Lahaina.

Videos taken before the blaze ripped through the town, killing 100 people, apparently showed downed cables setting light to vegetation.

In California, the almost 1-million-acre Dixie fire of 2021 began after power lines owned by Pacific Gas and Electric touched a tree.

A year earlier, the company pleaded guilty to more than 80 counts of involuntary manslaughter over the horrific Camp fire.

US infrastructure is frequently old and increasingly not fit for the growing demands placed on it.

Related Links
Forest and Wild Fires - News, Science and Technology

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
FIRE STORM
One death reported as wildfires rage across Texas panhandle
Houston (AFP) Feb 29, 2024
Wildfires raging across north Texas reportedly killed at least one person Wednesday, as firefighters struggled to control one of the largest blazes in state history which has destroyed property and prompted evacuations. The Smokehouse Creek Fire in Texas' panhandle, a flat northern area known for its prairies and smattering of small towns, was listed as only three percent contained by the Texas A&M Forest Service. The enormous blaze, which spread following harsh winds and unseasonably warm tempe ... read more

FIRE STORM
Greenhouse gas repurposed in University of Auckland experiments

Inexpensive, carbon-neutral biofuels are finally possible

Watching the enzymes that convert plant fiber into simple sugars

Microbial division of labor produces higher biofuel yields

FIRE STORM
Germany launches major subsidy scheme for greener industry

Dartmouth engineering team discovers new high-performance solar cell material

Advanced material science enhances silicon solar cell efficiency

Harnessing Sunlight from Above: The Rise of Skysun's Solar Solutions

FIRE STORM
Wind-powered Dutch ship sets sail for greener future

Leaf-shaped generators create electricity from the wind and rain

European offshore wind enjoys record year in 2023

Danish firm to build huge wind farm off UK

FIRE STORM
Stormclouds gather over EU's Green Deal

Green claims would need hard proof under proposed EU law

Climate perils costing US 0.4% of its GDP: Swiss Re

World needs 'trillions' for climate action: COP28 president

FIRE STORM
Power when the sun doesn't shine

UK 'net zero' economy bucks recession: study

Leveraging magnetic field flaws for enhanced plasma stability in a fusion reactor

Tests show high-temperature superconducting magnets are ready for fusion

FIRE STORM
Pollution probe at Italy's Taranto steelworks: reports

'I need to fight': UK steelworkers in fear as less pollution means less jobs

Mexico City flights canceled as volcano spews ash

New dyeing method could help jeans shrink toxic problem

FIRE STORM
UNIST paves the way for revolutionary high-density hydrogen storage solutions

Britain vows to build new gas power stations

Oil spills pile on pressure for Iraq's farmers

Vessel targeted off Yemen: security firm

FIRE STORM
Study reveals potential for life's building blocks from Mars' ancient atmosphere

Little Groundwater Recharge in Ancient Mars Aquifer, According to New Models

Three years later, search for life on Mars continues

Mining Into Mineral King: Sols 4110-4111

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2026 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.