A certified arborist says an electric cooperative wasn't following industry standards at the time an aspen tree fell onto a power line, sparking one of the largest wildfires in New Mexico's recorded history.
Kevin Eckert testified Tuesday in a civil case that'll decide whether the co-op and the transmission company that supplies it with power should be held liable for the 2011 Las Conchas fire.
Attorneys for more than 300 plaintiffs say negligence by the two companies is to blame.
More than 240 square miles burned, dozens of homes were destroyed and one of the nation's premier nuclear weapons labs was threatened.
Eckert testified a trained inspector would have spotted the tree as a hazard, but there's no indication the co-op had trained inspectors or a documented vegetation management program.
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