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  1. #1

    Exclamation Texas Wildfires-Residents sue Bluebonnet Electric Coop

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    http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Bastr...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.

  2. #2
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    <....delete....>
    Last edited by rcdallas; 01-04-2012 at 12:58 AM.

  3. #3

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    Perhaps they would like their area made safe by the power being turned off permanently. I think this comes under Act of God anyway so perhaps they could sue him instead.

    (This sounds like a lawyer trying to make money.)
    Portable defibrillators were first invented to save the lives of linemen. Where's yours?

    www.bigclive.com

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigClive View Post
    I think this comes under Act of God anyway so perhaps they could sue him instead.

    (This sounds like a lawyer trying to make money.)
    Good luck trying to sue GOD

    I've never gotten a penny from him.

  5. #5
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    I'll bet there will be some serious wide R/W cutting after this. That is wherever the fire left trees standing.
    Note to self, just because it pops into my head doesn't mean it should come out of my mouth.

  6. #6
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    Oct 2006
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    Ummmmmmm Ya hafta wonder if they build the distribution lines back with the houses all gone or if they will wait til there is some load to put on it.
    Like RC said customers dont want their trees touched UNTIL its too damn late and then they want em done right this minute.Couple that with the fact that they make tree access near impossible by erecting fences, Buildings, Garages, and every other obstacle imaginable to mankind. I bleve if Power companies policed their ROWs and forced customers to remove encroachments and obstacles it would save a lot of money, and perhaps even help prevent stuff like that from happening.

  7. #7

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    It's funny out here, when the company comes through wanting to trim/remove trees the landowners dont want you touching "my trees". But....when the trees fall across a line we do what we gotta do, and generally cut/clear only what we need to for power restoration they call in wondering when the crews our coming back to clean up "their" trees.

  8. #8
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    Same thing here. We do not clean up trees that we take down during storms. Complaints, oh you bet!
    Note to self, just because it pops into my head doesn't mean it should come out of my mouth.

  9. #9

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    The worst clearance I've ever seen was during Hurricane Irene (99 or 00 I forget) in Miami, we seen a ton of 3-phase going straight through the trees. The only way there was clearance was when the phases burnt the tree away.

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