After Maui, Texas is fighting to control the second-largest wildfire in US history

The largest and most destructive wildfire in Texas history, the Smokehouse Creek fire, has left the Panhandle region in the grip of a catastrophic wildfire disaster.

According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, the fire, which merged with another fire, has burned more than a million acres of land since last week. After the terrible Maui wildfire of the previous year, it is also the second-largest wildfire in US history.

The landscape has been left desolate by the wildfire, with ranchland, craggy canyons, oil rigs, and burnt ground scattered over the gloomy sky.

Devastating remnants of the fire include destroyed houses, dead animals, and damaged infrastructure. “This is currently both the largest and most destructive fire in Texas history,” the volunteer fire department in West Odessa said on Facebook. In US history, it is also the second-largest wildfire.

Over Oklahoma, fire has extended its tongue.
As of the time this story was written, the fire had spread into Oklahoma, where it had damaged over a dozen houses, according to state emergency authorities. As of Thursday, the fire was just 3% controlled in 60 counties in Texas, prompting Governor Greg Abbott to proclaim a disaster.

The firefighters fighting the blazing fires have had some reprieve from the weather thanks to a little snowfall that originated in New Mexico. However, the National Weather Service warned that low humidity and high winds are predicted to make things worse throughout the weekend.

Additionally, the Texas A&M Forest Service raised its degree of preparation for wildland fires to level 3.

Regarding the Smokehouse Creek fire, Texas A&M Forest Service spokesperson Juan Rodriguez said, “We’re using the rain and snow to our advantage right now.”

“Firefighters can actually catch up and get to those parts of the fire when it isn’t blowing up and moving very fast,” he said.

Numerous deaths are anticipated and one verified.
Due to the fire’s destruction of vital infrastructure, including electricity lines, there have also been extensive power disruptions. According to the North Plains Electric Cooperative, electricity would be restored by Monday after around 115 miles of line needed to be rebuilt.

Since emergency personnel haven’t had time to thoroughly evaluate the situation, the amount of the damage is yet unclear. However, the area’s rural villages have suffered greatly as a result of the fire. While the death of an elderly lady named Joyce Blankenship has been verified, further victims have not yet been looked for by the local police.

The little village of Fritch was severely damaged once again when a fire in 2014 claimed hundreds of houses. There are 2,200 people living in the town; according to Mayor Tom Ray, 40–50 residences on the south side of the town were destroyed by fire on Wednesday.

According to Bill Kendall, the Hemphill County emergency management coordinator, around forty residences were also set on fire in the vicinity of Canadian. He described the scorched terrain as seeming “like a moonscape.” It has just vanished.

Hundreds of animals have already perished in the fire, and more are predicted to perish or be put down. According to Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, there may be thousands of cow fatalities.

We will need to put some livestock to death. They’ll have scorched udders and hooves,” he said.