Texas lawmakers spent this week hearing from property owners, utilities, and first responders as they seek options to prevent wildfires like those that burned in the Panhandle earlier this year.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire grew to more than a million acres, becoming the largest wildfire in Texas history.
The fire led to two deaths, and Governor Greg Abbott says 500 structures were destroyed.
The Texas House of Representatives formed a committee to look at the cause of the Panhandle fires, their effect, and how to prevent something similar in the future.
Xcel Energy testified before the committee during a hearing in the Panhandle Thursday. The company has previously acknowledged a role in the fire but provided more information and denied negligence.
"It's an honor to provide service that powers this region, and it is an obligation we do not take lightly, which is why today's topic is such a difficult one. I offer our thoughts on behalf of our employees to our friends, families, and neighbors who were affected by the Amarillo complex fires," Adrian Rodriguez from Xcel Energy told the committee in an opening statement. "My goal is to be direct and transparent and address some of the questions that were raised."
Rodriguez acknowledged Xcel owns the power pole that broke, sparking the Smokehouse Creek Fire. He did say, though, that the company uses a subcontractor to inspect poles.
Lawsuits filed against the company argue the pole should have been identified as vulnerable and removed.
Rodriguez said high winds in the Panhandle may have contributed to the poll falling.
An investigator with Texas A&M Forest Service told the committee its investigators found a decayed power pole had fallen, sparking the fire. During the investigation, Kevin Pierce told the committee they found chop marks on several power poles, including the one that fell.
Xcel's Rodriguez says a subcontractor, Osmose Utilities Services, may have used the chop marks as part of the inspection process. He says the marks are part of an industry practice to assess the remaining useful life of a pole.
A member of the committee, Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) asked why Xcel had come to the hearing, but Osmose did not.
"There are a lot of people who would not show up here, who would not want to answer questions or become overly defensive," Burrows said. "I do want to tell [Xcel] I'm appreciative of you coming here, giving us some accounting for what happened, acknowledging some of the issues, and making some commitments."
Rodriguez said Xcel received a request from the office of Rep. Ken King (R-Canadian), who chairs the committee, for a contact at Osmose.
"We provided that contact information to the committee. We did engage with Osmose to let them know about the committee, but ultimately, the decision was theirs," Rodriguez said.
"Do you know why they're avoiding coming here?" Burrows asked.
"I do not know," Rodriguez answered.
Osmose did provide a statement to the committee, which King read during the meeting.
"Although Osmose cannot attend the Committee meeting this week, we welcome the opportunity to discuss fire mitigation-related service offerings and recommended best practices in the State of Texas with your staff should the Committee have additional questions," the statement read.
During the hearing, Xcel's Rodriguez gave the committee recommendations to prevent future fires. He said areas outside city limits would not have an inspector or building code, so the Texas Railroad Commission or Public Utility Commission should have the ability to authorize stopping service.
He said they would then also need authorization to resume service at an appropriate time.
Rodriguez said Xcel would also support legislative action to create a regional wildfire emergency operations center, funding for "advanced wildfire camera systems," legislative guidance for when to cut energy, and "community hardening" projects to slow fire spread.
Several landowners spoke during the hearing.
"When is enough enough?" one woman asked. "The Railroad Commission, they need to get out there, and they need to start inspecting."
"Somebody's head should roll on that one," another landowner said.
aThe committee expects to issue its report May 1.
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