Texas Panhandle fire expands to 1 million acres, becoming state's largest ever
CLIMATE CHANGE IN YOUR FACEBy Nathan Frandino, Rich Mckay and Brendan O'Brien
A firefighter battles the Smokehouse Creek Fire, near Amarillo, in the Texas Panhandle. Photo: Flower Mound Fire Department / AFP
Fire crews on Thursday fought to contain a deadly wildfire that has burned more than 1 million acres (404,686 hectares) of grasslands, timber and residential areas in Texas' northern Panhandle region, making it the largest recorded fire in the state's history.
The blaze, dubbed the Smokehouse Creek Fire, had doubled in size since Wednesday and was 3 percent contained on Thursday morning, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. Firefighters used a brief lull in the strong winds that have swept the area to erect barriers and tackle hot spots of downed trees and thick grass.
On Thursday, Jason Wilhelm, 36, was using a frontloader to clear the lot in Canadian, a small town about 100 miles (161km) northeast of Amarillo, where the house he shared with his wife and five children had stood a few days earlier. Charred grass and blackened trees were all that remained.
His wife was able to gather pictures, cash and some sentimental items from the home before the blaze roared through on Monday.
"It was heartbreaking," Wilhelm said.
Rain and snow falling in the area on Thursday offered a "shot of moisture" before the air dries out on Friday and high winds return over the weekend, said Steve Hannah, an Amarillo-based meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Gusts could reach 40 miles per hour (64km/h) by Sunday, he said.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire has now burned through an area larger than the state of Rhode Island.
The number of structures destroyed and people evacuated is still unclear, but dozens of homes have been reportedly levelled. The fire has so far killed one person, according to Texas A&M. The victim was described by local media as an 83-year-old woman in Hutchinson County, northeast of Amarillo.
Lee Haygood, 57, the owner of a ranch about 25 miles (40km) southeast of Canadian who managed to save all his cattle, was counting his blessings on Thursday but also wondering how he would feed them.
"We didn't lose any cattle, but we lost 75 percent of our grassland," he said.
"It'll take a full growing season to come back, not until maybe the fall."
Amarillo firefighters during mop up operations at the Windy Deuce fire north of Amarillo, Texas. On Tuesday, operations at the nearby Pantex plant, the nation's primary nuclear weapons assembly facility, were suspended as the fire crept close, but the blaze later changed direction, allowing routine activities at the plant to resume. Photo: Amarillo Fire Department / AFP
In contrast with ranchers north of Canadian, Haygood on Monday was given only a few hours' warning about the approaching wildfire. He moved his herd of 200 Hereford bulls off the four square miles of grazing land and penned them into the single green wheat field he had left, hoping it would not ignite.
Fellow ranchers have already started sending semi-tractor trailers full of hay and meal to his ranch. "We are truly blessed," he said.
Several smaller wildfires were burning in other parts of the Panhandle region. The next largest fire in the area, the Windy Deuce fire, has burned 142,000 acres and was 30 percent contained on Thursday, according to Texas A&M.
On Tuesday, the Windy Deuce had crept to within a few miles of the US Energy Department's Pantex plant, the nation's primary nuclear weapons assembly facility, located near Amarillo, prompting officials to evacuate non-essential personnel and suspend operations.
But the leading edge of that blaze shifted to the north and west, away from Pantex, on Wednesday, allowing routine activities at the plant to resume.
"Operations at the Pantex Plant returned to normal Wednesday," the facility said in an online notice. "There is no imminent wildfire threat to the plant at this time."
- Reuters
Footage captures damages from largest wildfire in Texas state history
Texas wildfire explodes to become second-largest in U.S. history
LI COHEN
Updated February 29, 2024
In the Texas Panhandle, lampposts are now melted, power line posts are split in half and homes and properties have been reduced to charred remains. The Smokehouse Creek Fire that broke out on Monday has since extended to 1.1 million acres, firefighters said Thursday, quickly becoming the "largest and most destructive" in state history.
The West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department said overnight that the fire, located in Hutchinson County, grew to 1.1 million acres and is roughly 3% contained.
"This is now both the largest and most destructive fire in Texas history," the department wrote on Facebook. "It is also the second largest wildfire in U.S. history."
On Wednesday, the Texas A&M Forest Service increased the state's wildland fire preparedness level to a 3 out of 5, meaning that "wildfire activity is impacting several regions of the state as the result of drought, dry vegetation or frequent fire weather events."
The group also confirmed the fire's rapid growth to more than 1 million acres at 3% containment on Thursday morning. The nearby 687 Reamer Fire that started in the same county has now "burned into this fire," the Forest Service said.
There are at least five active wildfires throughout the state, with the Smokehouse Creek Fire being the largest by far. The second-largest active wildfire as of Thursday is the Windy Deuce Fire in Moore County, which has grown to an estimated 142,000 acres and is 30% contained, according to the Forest Service.
Other active wildfires include the Grape Vine Creek Fire in Gray County and the Magenta Fire in Oldham County.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire had reached historic levels after just a few days. Previously, the biggest fire to ever ignite in Texas had been 2006's East Amarillo Complex fire, which grew to more than 907,000 acres.
One person has died in the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Hutchinson County, a county official told CBS Texas on Wednesday night. The victim's grandson confirmed the death to CBS News, identifying the victim as 83-year-old Joyce Blankenship.
The fire also destroyed most of the historic $180 million Turkey Track Ranch, which was home to "one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the Great Plains" near the end of the Civil War, and the site of the Red River War that started in 1874. The property, one of the oldest ranches in the state that covers roughly 80,000 acres, has seen an estimated 80% of its pastures, plains and creek bottom burned in the fire, CBS affiliate KHOU-TV reports.
"The loss of livestock, crops and wildlife, as well as ranch fencing and other infrastructure throughout our property as well as other ranches and homes across the region is, we believe, unparalleled in our history," the owners said in a statement. "...We are all completely devastated and personally heartbroken by the magnitude of this horrific event."
The Forest Service said the Smokehouse Creek Fire is part of a multi-day wildfire outbreak across Texas and Oklahoma.
The fires temporarily shut down Pantex, the main facility that puts together the country's nuclear arsenal, but the facility, located about 30 miles east of the Panhandle city of Amarillo, is back to "normal day shift operations." No damage or issues were reported.
Wildfires as a whole are anticipated to only worsen as the world continues to burn fossil fuels that release planet-warming greenhouse gases. Last year, scientists at Climate Central released a report finding that wildfire seasons in the U.S. are "lengthening and intensifying, particularly in the West."
In this handout photo provided by the Texas A&M Forest Service, flames cross a road in the Smokehouse Creek fire on the evening of Feb. 27, 2024, in the Texas Panhandle. The blaze has grown to more than 850,000 acres since igniting Monday, making it the second-largest wildfire in Texas state history. / Credit: Texas A&M Forest Service/Getty Images
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 Texas counties on Tuesday to secure resources to help fight the massive blazes. High temperatures and dry and windy conditions — all of which are expected to become a more frequent and intense problem as global temperatures rise — contributed to the spread of the flames, Abbott said, with those conditions expected to remain for at least a few days.
A satellite image taken on Feb. 28, 2024, shows overviews of the extent to which towns have been impacted by the fire. / Credit: Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies
"These conditions could increase the potential for these wildfires to grow larger and more dangerous," the governor said. "Texans are urged to limit activities that could create sparks and take precautions to keep their loved ones safe."
Before Tresea Rancin escaped the Smokehouse Creek Fire, she watched as her home of 38 years in the town of Canadian went up in flames.
"I was Facetiming with my son, who is in the service, and he said 'Mom leave,'" Rancin told CBS News.
Rankin says she will rebuild.
"You got a choice, you can either get bitter or get better, and I'm getting better," she said.
As fast-moving flames quickly spread over the dried grassland, cattle ranchers near the town of Sinton released livestock to escape the flames.
Several school districts in the Texas Panhandle were closed Wednesday, and residents who didn't get out in time were being told to shelter in place.
"We asked them to leave because it's a very dangerous situation," Ellis County Sheriff Shane Booth said.
More than 30,000 acres have burned in Oklahoma, according to Oklahoma Forestry Services. At least 13 homes in Oklahoma have also been destroyed, according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management.
Public information map of the Smokehouse Creek Fire showing an estimated 500,000 acres as of Feb. 28, 2024. This is a preliminary perimeter and subject to change. / Credit: Texas A&M Forest Service/Facebook
Today, several states, including Texas, have two additional months of fire weather compared to what was experienced in 1973, the group found. A combination of low humidity, hot temperatures and wind promotes the spread of wildfires.
"Human-caused climate change accounts for at least two-thirds of the rapid increase in fire weather in the western U.S. in recent decades," Climate Central says.
While temperatures are expected to be cooler in north Texas in the middle of this week, the National Weather Service says that warmer conditions will return by Friday, with temperatures 10 to 20 degrees above normal. However, some additional moisture is also expected and the service says that there could be some rain as early as Sunday.
— Dave Malkoff contributed to this report.
Massive wildfires in Texas Panhandle force evacuations, prompt disaster declaration
S.E. JENKINS
Updated February 29, 2024 at 4:20 PM
NORTH TEXAS - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration Tuesday due to widespread wildfires in the Panhandle amid hot and dry conditions. Dry vegetation and high winds were fueling the rapid growth of blazes. Abbott's declaration includes 60 counties.
Since Sunday, Feb. 25, Texas A&M Forest Service has responded to 56 wildfires burning more than 1,256,328 acres.
"As dangerous wildfires continue to impact the Texas Panhandle, I directed TDEM to immediately deploy additional wildfire response resources to ensure the safety of Texans and impacted communities," Abbott said Wednesday.
The largest wildfire in Texas history is actively burning today. The Smokehouse Creek fire in Hutchinson County is burning a total of 1,075,000 acres across Texas and Oklahoma and is 3% contained. / Credit: Texas A&M Forest Service
Abbott also directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to increase the readiness level of the Texas State Emergency Operations Center to Level II, an "Escalated Response," in support of the state's around-the-clock response.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire is now the largest wildfire in Texas history, burning a total of 1,075,000 acres across Texas and Oklahoma. It is 3% contained.
One person died in hard-hit Hutchinson County where the massive Smokehouse Creek Fire swept through the area. Eighty-three-year-old Joyce Blankenship died when the Smokehouse Creek fire enveloped her neighborhood in the town of Stinnett, northeast of Amarillo.
"We do have one confirmed fatality from the Scotts Acres fire," Hutchinson County Public Engagement Coordinator Deidra Thomas said.
Texas panhandle wildfires map / Credit: CBS News Texas
Pantex, the main facility that assembles and disassembles America's nuclear arsenal, shut down its operations Tuesday night because of nearby wildfires. But the plant's operators said overnight on X, the former Twitter, that it is "open for normal day shift operations for Wednesday, February 28; all personnel are to report for duty according to their assigned schedule."
The plant is located some 30 miles east of Amarillo.
When it paused its operations, the company wrote in a social media post that, "All weapons and special materials are safe and unaffected." Pantex later clarified that "there is currently no fire on the plant site and emergency personnel continue to monitor the situation." Pantex said all employees had been accounted for and "non-essential personnel are no longer on site."
Several large wildfires ignited Monday under warm, dry, and windy conditions across the Panhandle. Canadian, a town in the Panhandle, was first told to evacuate and then to shelter in place. The Canadian Independent School District canceled classes for Wednesday.
Evacuations were underway in Fritch, just one of four wildfires burning in the Panhandle. The Texas A&M Forest Service says the wind-driven Deuce fire is only 50% contained and 142,000 acres have burned. Evacuations are still in place for the fire area.
The Amarillo Area Office of Emergency Management said late Tuesday night that "Randall County, Potter County, and City of Amarillo, Texas have declared a local state of disaster. ... The only area being evacuated at this time is the Mesilla Park area."
Smokehouse Creek fire in Hutchinson County. Feb. 27, 2024. / Credit: Texas A&M Forest Service
The Grape Vine Creek Fire in Gray County is an estimated 30,000 acres and 60% contained.
"As Agriculture Commissioner, I am deeply concerned about the devastating wildfires raging through the Texas Panhandle," Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said via social media. "Our thoughts are with them during this challenging time, and we're committed to supporting their recovery efforts every step of the way."
The Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) deployed Wednesday to provide veterinary care to resident animals and support local shelters. VET also has the support of 12 search and rescue dogs deployed with Texas A&M Texas Task Force 1.
The Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association launched a fundraising campaign to aid victims of the wildfires.
"A fire is one of the most tragic events that can impact ranches, and a natural disaster such as the widespread wildfires in Texas and Oklahoma can result in financial hardships and deep impacts to our ranching communities," said TSCRA President Arthur Uhl.
The Texas A&M Forest Service is bracing for more wildfire activity in the coming weeks.
LI COHEN
Updated February 29, 2024
In the Texas Panhandle, lampposts are now melted, power line posts are split in half and homes and properties have been reduced to charred remains. The Smokehouse Creek Fire that broke out on Monday has since extended to 1.1 million acres, firefighters said Thursday, quickly becoming the "largest and most destructive" in state history.
The West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department said overnight that the fire, located in Hutchinson County, grew to 1.1 million acres and is roughly 3% contained.
"This is now both the largest and most destructive fire in Texas history," the department wrote on Facebook. "It is also the second largest wildfire in U.S. history."
On Wednesday, the Texas A&M Forest Service increased the state's wildland fire preparedness level to a 3 out of 5, meaning that "wildfire activity is impacting several regions of the state as the result of drought, dry vegetation or frequent fire weather events."
The group also confirmed the fire's rapid growth to more than 1 million acres at 3% containment on Thursday morning. The nearby 687 Reamer Fire that started in the same county has now "burned into this fire," the Forest Service said.
There are at least five active wildfires throughout the state, with the Smokehouse Creek Fire being the largest by far. The second-largest active wildfire as of Thursday is the Windy Deuce Fire in Moore County, which has grown to an estimated 142,000 acres and is 30% contained, according to the Forest Service.
Other active wildfires include the Grape Vine Creek Fire in Gray County and the Magenta Fire in Oldham County.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire had reached historic levels after just a few days. Previously, the biggest fire to ever ignite in Texas had been 2006's East Amarillo Complex fire, which grew to more than 907,000 acres.
One person has died in the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Hutchinson County, a county official told CBS Texas on Wednesday night. The victim's grandson confirmed the death to CBS News, identifying the victim as 83-year-old Joyce Blankenship.
The fire also destroyed most of the historic $180 million Turkey Track Ranch, which was home to "one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the Great Plains" near the end of the Civil War, and the site of the Red River War that started in 1874. The property, one of the oldest ranches in the state that covers roughly 80,000 acres, has seen an estimated 80% of its pastures, plains and creek bottom burned in the fire, CBS affiliate KHOU-TV reports.
"The loss of livestock, crops and wildlife, as well as ranch fencing and other infrastructure throughout our property as well as other ranches and homes across the region is, we believe, unparalleled in our history," the owners said in a statement. "...We are all completely devastated and personally heartbroken by the magnitude of this horrific event."
The Forest Service said the Smokehouse Creek Fire is part of a multi-day wildfire outbreak across Texas and Oklahoma.
The fires temporarily shut down Pantex, the main facility that puts together the country's nuclear arsenal, but the facility, located about 30 miles east of the Panhandle city of Amarillo, is back to "normal day shift operations." No damage or issues were reported.
Wildfires as a whole are anticipated to only worsen as the world continues to burn fossil fuels that release planet-warming greenhouse gases. Last year, scientists at Climate Central released a report finding that wildfire seasons in the U.S. are "lengthening and intensifying, particularly in the West."
In this handout photo provided by the Texas A&M Forest Service, flames cross a road in the Smokehouse Creek fire on the evening of Feb. 27, 2024, in the Texas Panhandle. The blaze has grown to more than 850,000 acres since igniting Monday, making it the second-largest wildfire in Texas state history. / Credit: Texas A&M Forest Service/Getty Images
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 Texas counties on Tuesday to secure resources to help fight the massive blazes. High temperatures and dry and windy conditions — all of which are expected to become a more frequent and intense problem as global temperatures rise — contributed to the spread of the flames, Abbott said, with those conditions expected to remain for at least a few days.
A satellite image taken on Feb. 28, 2024, shows overviews of the extent to which towns have been impacted by the fire. / Credit: Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies
"These conditions could increase the potential for these wildfires to grow larger and more dangerous," the governor said. "Texans are urged to limit activities that could create sparks and take precautions to keep their loved ones safe."
Before Tresea Rancin escaped the Smokehouse Creek Fire, she watched as her home of 38 years in the town of Canadian went up in flames.
"I was Facetiming with my son, who is in the service, and he said 'Mom leave,'" Rancin told CBS News.
Rankin says she will rebuild.
"You got a choice, you can either get bitter or get better, and I'm getting better," she said.
As fast-moving flames quickly spread over the dried grassland, cattle ranchers near the town of Sinton released livestock to escape the flames.
Several school districts in the Texas Panhandle were closed Wednesday, and residents who didn't get out in time were being told to shelter in place.
"We asked them to leave because it's a very dangerous situation," Ellis County Sheriff Shane Booth said.
More than 30,000 acres have burned in Oklahoma, according to Oklahoma Forestry Services. At least 13 homes in Oklahoma have also been destroyed, according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management.
Public information map of the Smokehouse Creek Fire showing an estimated 500,000 acres as of Feb. 28, 2024. This is a preliminary perimeter and subject to change. / Credit: Texas A&M Forest Service/Facebook
Today, several states, including Texas, have two additional months of fire weather compared to what was experienced in 1973, the group found. A combination of low humidity, hot temperatures and wind promotes the spread of wildfires.
"Human-caused climate change accounts for at least two-thirds of the rapid increase in fire weather in the western U.S. in recent decades," Climate Central says.
While temperatures are expected to be cooler in north Texas in the middle of this week, the National Weather Service says that warmer conditions will return by Friday, with temperatures 10 to 20 degrees above normal. However, some additional moisture is also expected and the service says that there could be some rain as early as Sunday.
— Dave Malkoff contributed to this report.
Massive wildfires in Texas Panhandle force evacuations, prompt disaster declaration
S.E. JENKINS
Updated February 29, 2024 at 4:20 PM
NORTH TEXAS - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration Tuesday due to widespread wildfires in the Panhandle amid hot and dry conditions. Dry vegetation and high winds were fueling the rapid growth of blazes. Abbott's declaration includes 60 counties.
Since Sunday, Feb. 25, Texas A&M Forest Service has responded to 56 wildfires burning more than 1,256,328 acres.
"As dangerous wildfires continue to impact the Texas Panhandle, I directed TDEM to immediately deploy additional wildfire response resources to ensure the safety of Texans and impacted communities," Abbott said Wednesday.
The largest wildfire in Texas history is actively burning today. The Smokehouse Creek fire in Hutchinson County is burning a total of 1,075,000 acres across Texas and Oklahoma and is 3% contained. / Credit: Texas A&M Forest Service
Abbott also directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to increase the readiness level of the Texas State Emergency Operations Center to Level II, an "Escalated Response," in support of the state's around-the-clock response.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire is now the largest wildfire in Texas history, burning a total of 1,075,000 acres across Texas and Oklahoma. It is 3% contained.
One person died in hard-hit Hutchinson County where the massive Smokehouse Creek Fire swept through the area. Eighty-three-year-old Joyce Blankenship died when the Smokehouse Creek fire enveloped her neighborhood in the town of Stinnett, northeast of Amarillo.
"We do have one confirmed fatality from the Scotts Acres fire," Hutchinson County Public Engagement Coordinator Deidra Thomas said.
Texas panhandle wildfires map / Credit: CBS News Texas
Pantex, the main facility that assembles and disassembles America's nuclear arsenal, shut down its operations Tuesday night because of nearby wildfires. But the plant's operators said overnight on X, the former Twitter, that it is "open for normal day shift operations for Wednesday, February 28; all personnel are to report for duty according to their assigned schedule."
The plant is located some 30 miles east of Amarillo.
When it paused its operations, the company wrote in a social media post that, "All weapons and special materials are safe and unaffected." Pantex later clarified that "there is currently no fire on the plant site and emergency personnel continue to monitor the situation." Pantex said all employees had been accounted for and "non-essential personnel are no longer on site."
Several large wildfires ignited Monday under warm, dry, and windy conditions across the Panhandle. Canadian, a town in the Panhandle, was first told to evacuate and then to shelter in place. The Canadian Independent School District canceled classes for Wednesday.
Evacuations were underway in Fritch, just one of four wildfires burning in the Panhandle. The Texas A&M Forest Service says the wind-driven Deuce fire is only 50% contained and 142,000 acres have burned. Evacuations are still in place for the fire area.
The Amarillo Area Office of Emergency Management said late Tuesday night that "Randall County, Potter County, and City of Amarillo, Texas have declared a local state of disaster. ... The only area being evacuated at this time is the Mesilla Park area."
Smokehouse Creek fire in Hutchinson County. Feb. 27, 2024. / Credit: Texas A&M Forest Service
The Grape Vine Creek Fire in Gray County is an estimated 30,000 acres and 60% contained.
"As Agriculture Commissioner, I am deeply concerned about the devastating wildfires raging through the Texas Panhandle," Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said via social media. "Our thoughts are with them during this challenging time, and we're committed to supporting their recovery efforts every step of the way."
The Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) deployed Wednesday to provide veterinary care to resident animals and support local shelters. VET also has the support of 12 search and rescue dogs deployed with Texas A&M Texas Task Force 1.
The Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association launched a fundraising campaign to aid victims of the wildfires.
"A fire is one of the most tragic events that can impact ranches, and a natural disaster such as the widespread wildfires in Texas and Oklahoma can result in financial hardships and deep impacts to our ranching communities," said TSCRA President Arthur Uhl.
The Texas A&M Forest Service is bracing for more wildfire activity in the coming weeks.
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