Xcel Energy Linked to Starting Largest US Wildfire on Record, Faces Lawsuits Over Fire That Burned 1.2 Million Acres
• Xcel Energy admitted its facilities appear to have ignited the Smokehouse Creek fire, the largest US wildfire in modern history • The fire has burned over 1.2 million acres in Texas and killed at least 2 people • Xcel is facing lawsuits alleging it failed to properly maintain infrastructure, though it rejects claims of negligence • A homeowner is suing Xcel, claiming the fire started from one of its fallen utility poles • Xcel also faces a lawsuit in Colorado related to the 2021 Marshall fire that killed 2 and destroyed nearly 1,100 homes