Historic Texas wildfire hits ranchers hard, lawyer says damages could reach $1B

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

IN THE WAKE OF TEXAS’ MOST DEVASTATING WILDFIRE, THE PANHANDLE’S PICTURESQUE LANDSCAPE HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A BLEAK EXPANSE OF ASH, IMPACTING THE LIVELIHOODS OF ITS RANCHERS AND THE FATE OF THOUSANDS OF HEAD OF CATTLE.

THE LARGEST WILDFIRE IN THE STATE’S HISTORY HAS KILLED MORE THAN 10,000 LIVESTOCK, LEAVING RANCHERS TO MAKE HEART-WRENCHING DECISIONS ON THE FUTURE OF THEIR HERDS AMIDST A CHARRED TERRAIN DEVOID OF GRAZING CAPABILITY.

THIS TRAGEDY HAS NOT ONLY SCORCHED OVER A MILLION ACRES OF LAND BUT HAS ALSO IGNITED A FIERCE DEBATE OVER THE RESPONSIBILITY OF UTILITY COMPANIES IN PREVENTING SUCH DISASTERS.

EARLIER THIS WEEK TEXAS HOUSE SPEAKER DADE PHELAN ANNOUNCED THE FORMATION OF A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE DEDICATED TO INVESTIGATING THE WILDFIRES THAT SWEPT THROUGH THE TEXAS PANHANDLE. THIS MOVE AIMS TO BOLSTER THE STATE’S READINESS FOR FUTURE DISASTERS.

CENTRAL TO THE INVESTIGATION IS A FALLEN POWER LINE, BELONGING TO XCEL ENERGY, SUSPECTED OF IGNITING THE FIRE. PROPERTY OWNERS AND COMMUNITIES SEEK ANSWERS AND SAY THEY HOLD XCEL ENERGY AND OSMOSE UTILITIES SERVICES RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT THEY SEE AS A FAILURE TO PROPERLY MAINTAIN THEIR EQUIPMENT.

THE DISASTER HAS SPOTLIGHTED THE WHAT SOME ARE CALLING AN URGENT NEED FOR STRICTER REGULATIONS AND ENFORCEMENT ON UTILITY COMPANIES, TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION IN FIRE-SENSITIVE ZONES.

ONE OF THOSE CALLING FOR GREATER OVERSIGHT IS ATTORNEY KEVIN ISERN, WHO IS REPRESENTING MANY AFFECTED PROPERTY OWNERS AND HIGHLIGHTING THE SEVERE IMPACT OF THE UTILITIES’  ALLEGED NEGLIGENCE. STERN ESTIMATES THE DAMAGES FROM THE LATEST WILDFIRE COULD TOP A BILLION DOLLARS.

AS THE LEGAL BATTLES PROGRESS, THE BROADER IMPLICATIONS OF THE WILDFIRE RESONATE WITH  RANCHERS WHO FIND THEMSELVES AT A CROSSROADS. THE LOSS OF LIVESTOCK, ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, AND GRAZING LANDS SPELLS YEARS OF RECOVERY AHEAD, NOT JUST FOR INDIVIDUAL RANCHES BUT FOR THE ENTIRE REGION’S AGRICULTURAL FRAMEWORK.

CURRENTLY, THE OFFICIAL CAUSE OF THE WILDFIRE REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.