State Investigates Cause of Texas Wildfires That Burn Over 1 Million Acres; Downed Power Lines Seen as Possible Culprit
• State calls for investigation into cause of Texas Panhandle wildfires that have burned over 1 million acres • Attorneys asked utility company to preserve fallen utility pole that may be related to start of Smokehouse Creek Fire • Utility company Xcel Energy said it will cooperate with investigations to determine fire causes • Most common causes of these fires are lightning or proximity to power lines, experts say • Downed power lines have sparked massive fires in the past, including in California and Hawaii