A wildfire that broke out in the Texas panhandle on Monday has spread across an estimated 300,000 acres and is uncontained, sparking evacuations of the surrounding area and prompting Governor Greg Abbott to declare a disaster.
Maps show the Smokehouse Creek fire has spread across an area to the northeast of Amarillo, into the town of Canadian, and is now approaching the border with Oklahoma. A smoke cloud from the fire is estimated to have spread towards Tulsa.
It is one of several fires to have broken out in the region in the past few days, spurred on by warm temperatures and strong winds. The active panhandle blazes currently cover a combined area of some 374,000 acres, according to the latest figures by the Texas A&M Forest Service.
The Smokehouse Creek fire is thought to have started near the town of Stinnett, to the northeast of Lake Meredith in Hutchinson County, and has since spread eastward.
Texas A&M Forestry said late on Tuesday night that fire crews were attempting to protect structures in Canadian, and early on Wednesday morning that they were doing so for Miami City, as well.
Hemphill County Judge Lisa Johnson told local newspaper The Canadian Record that buildings on the outskirts of Canadian have already burned.
"Homes have burned in almost every direction," she said.
Residents have published footage confirming homes burning in the town.
Residents of Hemphill County, including those living in Canadian, were told to evacuate by local authorities on Tuesday due to the encroaching fire. Canadian Independent School District sent students home early to give "the best chance of connecting kids with their parents before an evacuation notice is issued," it said.
People living in Kelton, Briscoe, and Allison in Wheeler County were also told to evacuate, but this order has since been lifted.
Several parts of Hutchinson County were under evacuation orders, with others told to shelter in place. Evacuations in the area have been complicated by the wildfire encroaching on roads.
"We are working to get roads opened as quickly as it is safe to do so," Hutchinson County Office of Emergency Management said in its latest update, but added that it was "spread incredibly thin right now" with "areas without power, water, and active burning."
The blazes prompted Governor Abbott to declare a disaster for 60 counties "to ensure critical fire response resources are swiftly deployed to areas in the Texas Panhandle being impacted by devastating wildfires."
"Hot and dry conditions caused by high temperatures and windy conditions are expected to continue in the region in the coming days. These conditions could increase the potential for these wildfires to grow larger and more dangerous," Abbott warned.
A time when life challenges us. We remember our foundation! My home was not built on sinking sand. Please be in prayer for our friends neighbors an the community. Many homes animals barns land have...
The emergency declaration has led to the activation of 95 firefighters and heavy machinery of the Texas A&M Forest Service, ambulances and paramedics, Highway Patrol troopers, and a National Guard Chinook helicopter with firefighting capability.
It came after Amarillo, Randall County and Potter County declared local disasters, requesting state support.
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Aleks Phillips is a Newsweek U.S. News Reporter based in London. His focus is on U.S. politics and the environment. ... Read more
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