Feb. 23, 2026 – The ILA Center to Protect Ranchers (CPR) applauds Attorney General Ken Paxton for securing an injunction against Xcel Energy following the catastrophic Smokehouse Creek Fire in February 2024 – the largest wildfire in Texas history. More than one million acres burned, ranching families were devastated, and rural livelihoods were upended because of neglected infrastructure. Requiring immediate inspection and replacement of dangerous utility poles is a critical step toward accountability and preventing future disasters.
But accountability must go beyond checking poles. Xcel must step up and offer reasonable, timely settlements to wildfire victims who lost fencing, forage, livestock productivity, and generational equity. The company can begin by adhering to Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller’s directive on properly compensating ranchers for forage loss. Texas ranchers should not be forced into prolonged legal battles to recover from a preventable tragedy. We thank Attorney General Paxton for fighting for rural communities – and we will continue pushing to ensure ranchers receive the full justice they deserve.
-Bram Browder, Director of the Center to Protect Ranchers
