A recent report has identified a deteriorated utility pole collapsing under its own weight and igniting dry grass in the Texas Panhandle as the catalyst for the largest wildfire in the state’s history.
The Texas House committee specially formed to investigate the devastating and deadly blaze that ravaged the region earlier this year published its findings on Wednesday.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the Panhandle Wildfires Investigative Committee was created by House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont), led by Rep. Ken King (R-Canadian), and joined by Reps. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock), Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi), and two members of the public, Jason Abraham and Ashley Cash.
The committee’s report shed light on a cascade of apparent failures in maintenance, communication, and coordination that exacerbated the already dire situation.
It pointed to the decayed power pole as the culprit behind the Smokehouse Creek fire, as well as the four additional fires that broke out across the region. These fires, exacerbated by dry conditions and strong winds, quickly spread, overwhelming efforts to contain them.
The committee’s investigation also highlighted systemic issues that hampered the firefighting response in the area. Insufficient access to air support, malfunctioning communication gear, and poor coordination between agencies all dampened efforts to fight the blazes on the ground.
In response to these findings, the committee called for “[p]rompt and aggressive action” and issued a set of recommendations aimed at preventing future wildfires of this magnitude.
They urged the State Legislature to implement more stringent monitoring and enforcement measures to hold oil and gas operators accountable for their actions. Additionally, they called for improved oversight of utility providers to ensure the timely inspection and replacement of aging infrastructure, such as decayed power poles.
Xcel Energy, the utility company responsible for the decayed power pole, has acknowledged its role in the Smokehouse Creek fire and pledged to take action to mitigate wildfire risk by updating its systems to withstand extreme weather conditions, as DX has reported.
“We care deeply about the Panhandle communities harmed by wildfires,” Xcel Energy said in a statement published by Texas Tribune. “Our people live and work in these same communities.”
The committee’s report also recommended allocating more resources to firefighting in the state, such as creating a publicly-owned firefighting air fleet, modernizing and upgrading voluntary fire department equipment, and protecting the jobs of voluntary firefighters.
Volunteer fire departments, operating on a minimal budget, had struggled to contain the rapidly spreading flames that broke out in late February. Alongside the two people killed, these wildfires caused immense destruction across several counties, scorching over 1 million acres of land, reducing 138 homes to ashes, and killing more than 15,000 head of cattle, according to the report.
Moreover, the fires destroyed hundreds of water wells, depriving residents and livestock of vital water sources and compounding the challenges affected communities now face.