Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
Flash flood threat to continue in central Texas into midweek. Get details Chevron right
A father died saving his family, camp counselors lost their lives saving children; read their stories Chevron right

Ashburn, VA

91°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Ashburn

Virginia

91°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Ashburn, VA Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Newsletters

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars

News / Weather News

Utility company says its facilities ‘appear to have been involved’ in start of Smokehouse Creek fire in Texas

“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 in a Thursday news release.

By Andy Rose and Brammhi Balarajan, CNN

Published Mar 7, 2024 5:27 PM EDT | Updated Mar 8, 2024 10:18 AM EDT

Copied

Utility workers from Xcel Energy labor on power lines near a home destroyed by the Smokehouse Creek fire, on February 29 in Stinnett, Texas. (Julio Cortez/AP via CNN Newsource)

(CNN) — The utility company that provides power to most of the Texas Panhandle says its facilities appear to have played a role in the start of the state’s largest-ever wildfire, which incinerated over one million acres and left residents sifting through the destruction of their homes.

“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 in a Thursday news release.

The cause of the fire, which has burned more than a million acres in Texas and Oklahoma, has not been officially determined. The fire was one of five burning across the Panhandle that wrought destruction on the land and residents this past week.

Melanie McQuiddy, a woman whose home was destroyed in the wildfire, filed a lawsuit alleging that a fallen power pole started the blaze.

McQuiddy’s attorney, Mikal Watts, told CNN they used “fire patterns” to trace the start of the fire to a specific wooden utility pole and accused Xcel and a subcontractor of negligence in inspecting the integrity of the pole.

Dr. Reed Timmer, Extreme Meteorologist, recaps some of the key points of the wildfire and discusses an outlook on what to potentially expect next.

In her lawsuit, McQuiddy alleges the pole, which the companies “failed to properly inspect, maintain, and replace, splintered, and snapped off at its base” on February 26, causing the fire.

“Xcel Energy disputes claims that it acted negligently in maintaining and operating its infrastructure; 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 company’s Thursday news release said.

Xcel said that 47 occupied homes in Hemphill County were destroyed by the Smokehouse Creek fire, along with another 17 in Roberts County. The utility says the number of occupied homes destroyed by the fire in Hutchinson County is still being determined.

Around 500 homes and structures have been destroyed by the five blazes tearing across the Panhandle, state officials said.

Firefighters battle the Smokehouse Creek Fire north of Canadian, Texas, on February 28. (David Erickson/AP via CNN Newsource)

The Smokehouse Creek fire has destroyed 1,059,570 acres and is 44% contained, the Texas A&M Forest Service said early Thursday. The fire has killed at least two people and extended into Oklahoma, where it has destroyed more than 31,500 acres.

Along with the four other blazes, the Smokehouse Creek fire delivered a devastating blow to ranchers as thousands of cattle were killed and many more had to be put down due to sustaining burns to hooves, making them unlikely to survive.

“The people in this region are our friends, neighbors and relatives,” Xcel CEO Bob Frenzel said. “We are deeply saddened by the losses incurred in this community, and we are committed to supporting its renewal and recovery.”

Read more:

Lawsuit blames fallen power pole for starting Smokehouse Creek Fire
2 dead as largest wildfire in Texas history scorches 1 million acres
Wildfires have devastated the Texas cattle industry

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Report a Typo

Weather News

Weather News

‘Oh my God, we’re floating’: What people faced in amid Texas floods

Jul. 7, 2025
Weather News

The faces of the Texas flooding tragedy

Jul. 7, 2025
video

Rescue operations underway after deadly Texas flooding

Jul. 6, 2025
Severe Weather

Severe weather to rumble in the central US through the holiday weekend

Jul. 6, 2025
Weather News

Record sargassum seaweed piles up on Caribbean islands, Gulf

Jul. 2, 2025
Weather News

Alabama teen in ICU after lightning strike hits boat, causing burns an...

Jul. 2, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Weather News

‘Oh my God, we’re floating’: What people faced in amid Texas floods

5 hours ago

Weather Forecasts

Flash flood threat to continue in central Texas into midweek

1 hour ago

Weather News

At least 82 dead in Texas, dozens still missing in flooding

4 hours ago

Weather News

How torrential flooding wrought tragedy at girls camp in Texas

5 hours ago

Severe Weather

Flooding downpours, severe thunderstorms to mitigate heat in East

6 minutes ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Travel

FAA investigating part of a Delta Air Lines wing fell onto a driveway

4 days ago

Health

Three hospitalized, 21 injured after bee attack in France

4 hours ago

Weather News

France leads Europe in saying au revoir to beach and park smoking

3 days ago

Weather News

125,000-year-old ‘fat factory’ run by Neanderthals discovered

4 hours ago

Weather News

An ambitious vision of a city built from lava

3 hours ago

AccuWeather Weather News Utility company says its facilities ‘appear to have been involved’ in start of Smokehouse Creek fire in Texas
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...