Bastrop County Complex Fire killed two people in 2011
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas is suing a vegetation management company that it alleges caused the 2011 Bastrop County Complex Fire, the most destructive wildfire in Texas history.
The lawsuit filed Friday by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton alleges the Asplundh Tree Expert Co. failed to clear easements around power lines and remove dead trees before Tropical Storm Lee hit the area. Fire officials previously said the fire that burned for a month across 32,400 acres, killing two people and destroying almost 1,700 homes and structures, likely started when trees tumbled onto the power lines and sparks lit grass below.
The lawsuit seeks more than $1 million for replanting and habitat mitigation after extensive damage to Bastrop State Park.
A message for Asplundh officials was not immediately returned Friday.
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