Texas panhandle wildfires News

Xcel Energy Acknowledges Role in Texas Panhandle Wildfire

Xcel Energy on Thursday acknowledged its involvement in the Smokehouse Creek Fire, which started last week and quickly became the largest wildfire in state history, burning more than 1 million acres. “Based on currently available information, Xcel Energy acknowledges that …

Texas Fire Chief Dies While Fighting House Fire in City Hit Hard by Wildfires

A Texas fire chief whose small town was among the hardest hit last week by historic blazes sweeping across the Panhandle died Tuesday while fighting a house fire, authorities said. The house fire that Fritch Fire Chief Zeb Smith, 40, …

Texas Panhandle Ranchers Look to Rebuild After Wildfires

CANADIAN — Farmers and ranchers in the Panhandle lost livestock, buildings and infrastructure in the wildfires still raging through the region. Now they’re looking to rebuild. More than 100 people packed a room at the Hemphill County Exhibition Center on …

Many Texas Panhandle Homes Burned in Wildfires Weren’t Insured

FRITCH — Many Panhandle residents whose dwellings and possessions burned in the region’s ongoing wildfires may never financially recover for one simple reason: Their homes weren’t insured. “A lot of the people who have lost a home had no insurance,” …

Xcel Energy Utility Equipment Started Texas Wildfire, Homeowner Claims in Lawsuit

March 1 (Reuters) – A Texas homeowner whose house was destroyed by a massive wildfire raging northeast of Amarillo sued electric utility Xcel Energy XEL.O on Friday, alleging that a splintered power pole owned by the company fell and started …

Texas Fires Trigger Drop for Xcel With Law Firm Alleging Link

The worst-ever Texas wildfire sent shares of Xcel Energy Inc. plunging after a law firm said it might be linked to the disaster, the latest sign that potential ties between power companies and blazes are triggering volatility in once-sleepy utility …

Firefighters Race to Subdue Texas Wildfire Before Dangerous Weekend Conditions

FRITCH — A blanket of snow and rain that descended over the Texas Panhandle on Thursday helped firefighters to quell the spread of the largest wildfire in the state’s history, which has engulfed more than 1 million acres of land …

Insurers Offer Tips for Residents to Navigate Texas Wildfires

The Smokehouse Creek Fire has grown to more than 1 million acres in the Texas Panhandle, making it the second-largest wildfire in state history. The fire is 3% contained as of Thursday morning according to officials with the Texas A&M …

Texas Wildfire Conditions Seen Worsening After Brief Respite

Dry, windy weather that’s been fanning the worst Texas wildfire in almost two decades will return later this week after a brief respite of rain and snow. Fires raging across the Texas Panhandle have scorched homes and ranches, menaced an …

Texas Firefighters Face ‘Another Tricky Day’ Battling Blazes

Texas firefighters are facing “another tricky day” battling flames fanned by dry winds across the Great Plains, although threats to towns and ranches may ease overnight amid forecasts for rain and snow. Shifting winds may push the flames in new …