Texas Panhandle – Nearly a year after the Smokehouse Creek Fire scorched more than a million acres across the Texas Panhandle and into Western Oklahoma, the cities of Wheeler and Canadian, Texas are among eleven Panhandle communities joining forces against Xcel Energy.
The coalition, known as the Lonestar Eleven, says years of negligent utility maintenance by Xcel led to the February 2024 wildfire, now recognized as the largest in Texas history. Xcel later accepted responsibility after one of its utility poles fell and sparked the fire.
Local officials say the damage went far beyond burned land. Homes, livestock, ranches, and local economies were devastated, and despite Xcel’s promises of accelerated maintenance, city leaders argue that aging and unsafe poles remain in service today.
Wheeler and Canadian joined the coalition alongside Borger, Fritch, Higgins, Miami, McLean, Pampa, Perryton, Skellytown, and Stinnett after each city formally voted to participate. The group says its goal is simple: protect residents from another preventable disaster.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton recently filed suit against Xcel, citing ignored warnings about failing infrastructure and misleading assurances about safety. The lawsuit seeks economic damages, civil penalties, and court-ordered corrective action. Paxton is also asking the court to prevent Xcel from passing wildfire settlement costs on to ratepayers.
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