Texas investigators say the Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest in state history, appears to be caused by a downed utility power pole. When it comes to increased risks of starting wildfires, Michael Wara professor at Stanford University says some utilities"are walking into a catastrophe."That's what Texas state investigators now say appears to have fallen and caused the largest wildfire in the state's history. The electric utility -The U.S.
"It's not expensive, right? It's those little weather stations you'd buy and maybe put on your house if you were a weather nerd," Wara says. Part of the problem may be that many utility companies aren't always incentivized to make the fixes and operational changes that are key to reduce wildfire risk, says, a utility watchdog. Instead he says many power companies are biased towards building expensive things which can guarantee a profit.
Aaronson of the Edison Electric Institute says many utilities are already investing more heavily in sensors, more aggressive vegetation management, and proactive shutoffs to reduce wildfire risk."I don't think that there is a misalignment of incentives," he says.