The causes and origins of the fire have yet to be proven. Insurance companies for those responsible for the fire will vigorously fight back and have the upper hand unless you have an experienced advocate on your side. You will need a lawyer to get fairly compensated for damages from West Texas Wildfires.
The Smokehouse Creek wildfire, the largest in Texas history, continues to burn along with a string of others that have left the region in devastation.
As the official cause of the fire remains under investigation by the government, information is showing that the fire’s origin was a downed Xcel Energy power line located outside Stinnett.
Xcel Energy revealed it had been asked preserve a fallen utility pole near where the Smokehouse Creek Fire started. Xcel Energy’s subsidiary, Southwestern Public Service Company, serves the area where the fire is burning.
A seventh generation Texan, Jay English, of Trial Attorneys Texas in Dallas, is partnering with national firms with top-notch experience representing the victims of wildfires. Downed power lines have caused other massive fire outbreaks, including the Dixie Fire and Kincade Fire that were sparked in California by Pacific Gas and Electric power lines.
Last year, the Hawaiian Electric Co. acknowledged downed power lines caused the initial fire in the Maui town of Lahaina. In each case, Jay English’s national team has helped hundreds of victims of the fires.
Just as in the California and Hawaii wildfire disasters, the focus of the current investigation centers on downed powerlines. Xcel Energy, which generates, sells and delivers power in the Texas Panhandle and Osmose Utility Services, a Georgia-based company that inspects Xcel Energy equipment in Texas. Investigators believe a powerline was pushed over by strong winds, and started the wildfire when it fell and its electrical wiring came into contact with dry grass.
Don’t do it Alone; Maximize your Recovery
Most landowners believe that their own property and casualty insurance will cover the damages to their homes, farms, and ranches. Although there may be coverage, insurance companies will do what they can to minimize claim payments. Jay English and his national team of wildfire attorneys can assist you in navigating the claims process to ensure that you maximize your recovery.
State and local officials have said they are unable to start investigating how the fire started, leaving many questions unanswered. As firefighters continue to battle the raging Smokehouse Creek fire, Governor Greg Abbott said the cause of the fire — which covers more than 1 million acres — is under investigation. “We’re going to continue to work with our local partners to get the origin determination,” Abbott said during a press conference.
The location of the wildfire is outside of the jurisdiction of ERCOT, which operates the power grid that provides electricity for most of the state. A lawsuit has already been filed in Hemphill County against Xcel Energy claiming that one of the company’s splintered power poles started a fire there when it fell.
