ntxhand
09-27-2011, 11:17 PM
http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Bastrop-residents-sue-electric-utility-over-devastating-fire-130609188.html
BASTROP, Texas - An Austin law firm has been hired to represent three Bastrop County residents who are now suing Bluebonnet Electric three weeks after a devastating wildfire devoured more than 1,500 homes and nearly 35,000 acres. The fire is now 98 percent contained.
Bill Rossick, an attorney with Putonti, Escover & Rossick told KVUE Monday night that the firm was hired by three clients from Bastrop who are filing the lawsuit and he expects that more fire victims may join in.
Rossick says the recent Bastrop disaster is similar to another fire in Bastrop in 2009 where fallen trees are believed to have started a 1,500 acre brush fire. A lawsuit was filed against Bluebonnet Electric in that case and the case is pending. The Bastrop plaintiff’s attorney says Bluebonnet Electric should have used lessons learned from 2-years ago, combined that knowledge with the fact that the area was in one of the most severe droughts in recorded history this Summer and done more to remove dead trees away from power lines.
Last week the Texas Forest Service released details of what they believe caused two different fires to break out in Bastrop, ballooning into an out of control blaze burning for almost three weeks. The Forest Service believes that two different trees in two locations were blown over by high winds onto power lines sparking two fires which later joined together.
“That's what this lawsuit is all about is whether Bluebonnet could have prevented it by reasonable foresight or care and again what I expect the court to charge the jury about is was this an act of God if it is something that could be prevented by reasonable foresight and care? It’s not an act of God under the law,” said Bill Rossick, attorney for Bastrop plaintiffs.
Bluebonnet Electric released a statement saying “This lawsuit is a misguided attempt to blame Bluebonnet for a terrible accident that we could not control. These trees were on private property well outside of Bluebonnet’s right-of-way. No reasonable person could blame Bluebonnet or any other utility.”
Bluebonnet has three weeks to answer the lawsuit filed Monday.
BASTROP, Texas - An Austin law firm has been hired to represent three Bastrop County residents who are now suing Bluebonnet Electric three weeks after a devastating wildfire devoured more than 1,500 homes and nearly 35,000 acres. The fire is now 98 percent contained.
Bill Rossick, an attorney with Putonti, Escover & Rossick told KVUE Monday night that the firm was hired by three clients from Bastrop who are filing the lawsuit and he expects that more fire victims may join in.
Rossick says the recent Bastrop disaster is similar to another fire in Bastrop in 2009 where fallen trees are believed to have started a 1,500 acre brush fire. A lawsuit was filed against Bluebonnet Electric in that case and the case is pending. The Bastrop plaintiff’s attorney says Bluebonnet Electric should have used lessons learned from 2-years ago, combined that knowledge with the fact that the area was in one of the most severe droughts in recorded history this Summer and done more to remove dead trees away from power lines.
Last week the Texas Forest Service released details of what they believe caused two different fires to break out in Bastrop, ballooning into an out of control blaze burning for almost three weeks. The Forest Service believes that two different trees in two locations were blown over by high winds onto power lines sparking two fires which later joined together.
“That's what this lawsuit is all about is whether Bluebonnet could have prevented it by reasonable foresight or care and again what I expect the court to charge the jury about is was this an act of God if it is something that could be prevented by reasonable foresight and care? It’s not an act of God under the law,” said Bill Rossick, attorney for Bastrop plaintiffs.
Bluebonnet Electric released a statement saying “This lawsuit is a misguided attempt to blame Bluebonnet for a terrible accident that we could not control. These trees were on private property well outside of Bluebonnet’s right-of-way. No reasonable person could blame Bluebonnet or any other utility.”
Bluebonnet has three weeks to answer the lawsuit filed Monday.