The deadly Texas wildfires have scorched over 1 million acres. Ranches have burned, highways are shut down and thousands have been evacuated.
Massive wildfires engulfed parts of the Texas panhandle this week amid gusty winds and unseasonably warm weather.
As of Thursday, the blaze was only 15% contained.
Fire crossing Hwy 83 again 7 miles south of Canadian. #txwx pic.twitter.com/4bvzaXe4Fd
— Chad Casey (@WxFanaticCC) February 27, 2024
At least two women have died in the fires, the AP reported.
Birdseye view of the Smokehouse Creek fire damage:
I’m flying into Amarillo, Texas to cover the Smokehouse Creek Fire. You can see the burn scars where it was too hot for snow to stick to the ground.
The fire is now the largest in Texas history, at a staggering 1,075,000 acres burned.
Live reports on @KPRC2. pic.twitter.com/wAJmSaetUs
— Gage Goulding – KPRC 2 (@GageGoulding) February 29, 2024
CNN reported:
Catastrophic wildfires ripping across the Texas Panhandle have killed at least two people and threaten to destroy more homes, cattle and livelihoods as the biggest inferno in state history engulfs more land every minute.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire has now torched more than 1 million acres in Texas alone, making it the largest fire on record in the state. The blaze had also charred more than 31,500 acres in Oklahoma as of Thursday evening, that state’s forestry service said.
Altogether, the fire is among the largest in the Lower 48 since reliable record-keeping began in the 1980s.
The inferno is one of three fires burning in the Texas Panhandle – with no end in sight. Despite light precipitation in the area Thursday, dry air and ferocious winds are expected to return Friday and into the weekend – likely fueling the flames.
Governor Greg Abbott (R) said he directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to deploy additional emergency response resources as Texas responds to wildfires impacting the Panhandle.
I directed @TDEM to deploy additional emergency response resources as Texas responds to wildfires impacting the Panhandle.
We also increased the readiness level of the State Emergency Operations Center.
Texas stands ready to provide all available resources to protect Texans. pic.twitter.com/0YOfUXLKda
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) February 28, 2024