Smokehouse Creek Fire Becomes Second-Largest Wildfire in Texas History
The Panhandle blaze grew from 300,000 to 850,000 acres in about a day, is only 3% contained, and has claimed its first confirmed life.
By Jayden Sweiler ·
The Smokehouse Creek Fire in Hutchinson County, Texas, has become the second-largest wildfire in the state's recorded history, and officials warn it could soon take the top spot as warmer, drier conditions are forecast heading into the weekend.
Driven by hot weather and strong winds, the fire expanded from 300,000 acres on Tuesday to 850,000 acres by Wednesday afternoon. For scale, Rhode Island covers about 776,960 acres. The fire was just 3% contained as of Wednesday.
It is one of five large wildfires burning in the Texas Panhandle. Smokehouse Creek alone has already burned more acreage than all wildfires combined in a typical year in the state.
Officials confirmed the first death linked to the fires on Wednesday night. An 83-year-old woman was found dead in her home in Stinnett, about 70 miles northeast of Amarillo.
The fast-moving flames forced evacuations, caused power outages and strained firefighters' efforts. In Moore County, north of Amarillo, the fire was still spreading. "I am very sorry for the homes that are already lost and the ones we're going to lose, but man, you've gotta go," said Tara Huff, editor of the Eagle Press. Greg Downey of Canadian described driving through roughly 30 miles of what he called "a lunar landscape, just absolute barren desert." Of seeing his property, he said: "It's still emotional. This is our life. I mean, we've been here for 50 years, and it's pretty tough."
Damage assessments began Wednesday but remain limited while the fires burn. Adam Turner, a public information officer with the Texas A&M Forest Service, confirmed that some structures were lost Tuesday. Areas such as Fritch, which lost hundreds of homes in a 2014 fire, were affected. Deidra Thomas of the Hutchinson County Office of Emergency Management said many Fritch residents may not be prepared for what they see when they return. The flames also prompted the main facility that disassembles America's nuclear arsenal to pause operations Tuesday night; it reopened for normal work Wednesday.
Turner said high winds, low humidity and higher temperatures are behind the so-called Southern Plains Wildfire Outbreak. Conditions improved slightly Wednesday, and crews used the window to build containment lines. Winds were expected to ease to 15 to 25 miles per hour, but the respite should be brief, with temperatures returning to the 70s and 30 mph winds on Friday.
Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration covering 60 counties and on Wednesday directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to send additional resources. The Texas Interstate Fire Mutual Aid System was activated, bringing in firefighters from Fort Worth, Flower Mound, Frisco, Dallas, Grand Prairie, Plano and Greenville. The cause of the fires has not been determined.
The largest wildfire in Texas history remains the 2006 East Amarillo Complex fire, which burned 907,245 acres, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. Smokehouse Creek, at 850,000 acres, sits second, followed by the 1998 Big Country fire at 366,000 acres, the 2017 Perryton fire at 318,156 acres and the 2011 Rockhouse Fire at 314,444 acres.
Source: FOX 5 Atlanta
