Families settle with utility over Texas wildfire

Date: 11/8/2008

By ANGELA K. BROWN
Associated Press Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) _ An attorney says more than 100 families have settled a lawsuit with a utility whose damaged equipment sparked a devastating wildfire.

Attorney Bill Altman says the last of five settlements with Oncor was finalized this week. He says the total is “substantially” more than $5 million.

The 2006 fire in the ranching town of Ringgold burned about 40 homes and all but a handful of buildings on Main Street. Eleven people were injured.

The state fire marshal says the blaze started after failing supports on a telephone pole allowed electric lines to ignite dry grass below. The blaze was deemed accidental.

Oncor declined to comment on the specifics of the settlement but insists it was not responsible for the fire.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.