2 Dead As Largest Wildfire In Texas History Rages Through The Panhandle

FRITCH — Texas firefighters on Thursday struggled to contain a series of wildfires in the Panhandle that have killed at least two people and engulfed more than 1 million acres of land — an area larger than the state of Rhode Island, making the fire the largest in Texas history.

Authorities said they hoped cooler, snow temperatures and calmer winds on Thursday would help with fire suppression efforts. Wildfires have become more frequent and severe in the Western United States because of warmer and drier conditions, factors that are worsening because of climate change.

The Smokehouse Creek fire alone, which broke out Monday afternoon in Hutchinson County, surpassed the million acreage mark across Texas and Oklahoma. It is larger than the East Amarillo Complex fire in 2006, which blazed through 906,000 acres of land and used to hold the record for the state’s largest wildfire.

The Smokehouse Creek fire was followed by a second one in Moore County, located 35 miles west of Hutchinson County, which has burned through 142,000 acres of land. The cause of the fires is unknown at this time and still under investigation, according to Karen Stafford, Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Prevention program coordinator.

Firefighters have managed to quell the Smokehouse Creek fire by only 3%, which has largely remained unchanged since Wednesday. The Windy Deuce Fire in Moore County is 50% contained as of Thursday afternoon, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

The fires have ravaged nearly 2,000 square miles. Two other fires are still spreading through the region Thursday and a third smaller blaze was 100% contained, according to Texas A&M Forest Service.

At least two people have died, Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Chris Ray said Thursday.

One of the victims was a female truck driver from Amarillo who was driving through Hemphill County on Tuesday afternoon. The woman, identified as Cindy Owen, got out of her truck, which was surrounded by fire, and was burned, Ray said. Emergency medical services transferred Owen to Oklahoma to receive care but she died Wednesday morning.

CNN identified the other victim as 83-year-old Joyce Blankenship of Hutchinson County. County officials did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the victim.

Four firefighters were also injured with burns on Monday while fighting the Grape Vine Creek fire in Gray County. They were taken to a hospital and released the following day, Ray said.

Hot, dry and windy conditions primed the Texas Panhandle for the fires to take hold and spread, said Ben Kirtman, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies at the University of Miami. And hot and dry conditions have generally increased because of climate change.

“Thinking in terms of the context of climate change, what we’ve seen happening over the last decade or so, there’s certainly an increase fires,” Kirtman said. “There’s no question about it.”

Compelling evidence suggests that the risk of extreme fires will continue to increase, and no evidence suggests it will decrease, Kirtman said. That means people should be prepared for fires and heed emergency warnings.

The National Weather Service in Lubbock said early Thursday that light snow began to cover the region, with temperatures dropping lower than 30 degrees. In Hutchinson County, the weather agency said the area would remain “mostly cloudy” for the rest of the day. The agency is expecting rain or snow through the late morning, and a “slight chance of rain or snow showers” in the afternoon.

The cooling temperatures “will create easier conditions on the ground” for firefighters working to prevent the fire from intensifying and spreading, said Samuel Scoleri, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Amarillo. Some of the heaviest bands of precipitation moved over the Smokehouse Creek fire but it wasn’t immediately clear how much fell in the area. Snowfall can help dampen fires and raise the relative humidity to make it easier for firefighters to get a blaze under control.

Meteorologists expect weather conditions to worsen again on Saturday and Sunday, with winds picking back up to support the spread of fires.

“The question is how much of the fire gets contained before Saturday,” Scoleri said. Because we are expecting another round of critical fire weather.”

Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties in the area, directing the Texas Division of Emergency Management to deploy more resources and firefighters to contain the blaze. Medical personnel are also on the ground to support firefighters and other emergency responders.

In the cities of Canadian, Fritch and Glazier, officials on Tuesday ordered nearly 5,000 residents to evacuate or shelter in place. By Wednesday, Hemphill County officials lifted the evacuation order and said city services would resume that day.

Local officials in Hemphill County were still assessing the extent of the damage late Wednesday. Canadian — a city of 2,300 in Hemphill County — shouldered the brunt of the catastrophe. The fires destroyed approximately 40 homes, according to early estimates by Hemphill County Emergency Management coordinator Bill Kendall.

“We’re just trying to figure out what the needs are right now,” Kendall said. “But we don’t know exactly what’s needed. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Local officials are working to clear up roadblocks and set up donation centers, according to the Canadian Record, which has provided periodic updates on social media.

Ranchers from Midland brought in several trucks full of hay for the surviving livestock in the area.

“We delivered hay to someone last night, he had nothing left,” said Casey Smith, a rancher. “He didn’t have a blade of grass left.”

In the city of Fritch, fresh snow lay on the ground but didn’t cover the damage caused by the fires. Smoke blended in with the overcast sky, and charred plants, trees and pastures could be seen along the roads.

Officials are still assessing the damage in the city but said some structures have been lost in the fire. They are hoping to take advantage of the snow, in hopes it can control the spread before dry, windy conditions return this weekend.

“We are concerned if we don’t secure everything in the next 48 hours, there is potential it will spread again,” said Adam Turner, public information officer with Texas A&M Forest Service.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the wildfires have burned over 98% of the Gene Howe Wildlife Management Area, an area of over 5,000 acres located along the Canadian River in the Northern Rolling Plains of Hemphill County. The department said some fence lines may have been damaged but won’t know the extent of the damage until after the fire is put out.

Gene Howe is known for being home to plants like sandsage brush and eastern cottonwood as well as numerous wildlife species including the bobwhite quail, Rio Grande turkey, lesser prairie-chicken, white-tailed deer and Texas horned lizard. TPWD said wildlife are often resilient and capable of self-preservation, escaping fires or seeking refuge during wildfires. TPWD also said staff are assisting local law enforcement with road closures, evacuations and door-to-door knocking.

The Plains region will continue to face heightened wildfire risk this weekend, prompting caution from fire officials. With Texas Independence Day celebrations approaching on March 2, Texans are advised to exercise extreme care, particularly with activities like fireworks, which can inadvertently spark wildfires. The Texas A&M Forest Service recommends Texans check if there are active burn bans and fireworks restrictions with their local government officials.

Jayme Lozano Carver, Emily Foxhall and Kate McGee contributed to this story.

This article was written by  CARLOS NOGUERAS RAMOS, POOJA SALHOTRA AND ALEJANDRA MARTINEZ of The Texas Tribune . This article originally appeared at : https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/29/texas-panhandle-wildfire/