Record wildfire wreaks havoc in Texas
More than 4,000 square kilometers has burned in the largest wildfire in Texas history, causing the evacuation of towns, two deaths and heavy damage to the cattle industry.
There are five active wildfires in the state, with the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Hutchinson County the largest at 4,330 sq km and only 15 percent contained, according to the latest update by the Texas A&M Forest Service on Monday. Four other fires are smaller and are between 50 and 85 percent contained.
A cluster of fires in the Texas Panhandle have burned more than 5,000 sq km since erupting last week. The Smokehouse fire spilled into neighboring Oklahoma, where more than 130 sq km has been scorched, killing livestock, destroying hundreds of structures and burning crops.
The Texas A&M Forest Service said on Monday that cooler temperatures and less wind will aid in attempts to contain the active wildfires. However, it warned that “an underlying risk for new wildfires will continue in the Texas Panhandle and South Texas until spring green-up occurs in the abundance of grass vegetation found in these regions”.
More than 50 Texas National Guard members and hundreds more personnel from various state emergency response resources have been deployed to battle the wildfires.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said much of the affected areas are “completely gone”, with “nothing left but ashes on the ground”. Early assessments show that up to 500 structures had been destroyed as of Friday afternoon.
On Facebook, people posted photos of burned-down structures and skies covered by smoke or orange glows.
“These fires not only threaten lives and property, but will also have a substantial impact on our agriculture industry,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said in a statement.
“Over 85 percent of the state’s cattle population is located on ranches in the panhandle. There are millions of cattle out there, with some towns comprising more cattle than people. The losses could be catastrophic for those counties.”
Abbott said he is going to request a federal disaster declaration to help in the recovery.
Firefighters’ assistance
President Joe Biden said last week that he had directed his team to “do everything possible to help protect the people and the communities threatened by these fires”.
More than 100 federal firefighters were headed to the state, he said, as well as “dozens of additional fire engines, air tankers, small planes, helicopters to help fight the flames”.
The two deaths were of truck driver Cindy Owen, 44, and Joyce Blankenship, 83.
Owen was driving in Texas’ Hemphill County south of Canadian on Feb 27 when she encountered fire and smoke, said Sergeant Chris Ray of the Texas Department of
Public Safety. She got out of her truck, and flames overwhelmed her.
In nearby Hutchinson County, Blankenship, 83, was found dead in her house, her family said.
“The house was gone,” her grandson Nathan Blankenship said. “There was no way she could’ve gotten out.”
While fire officials have yet to determine the causes of the Texas Panhandle wildfires, lawyers for landowners are either filing or planning to file lawsuits against some utility companies, The Texas Tribune reported.
One lawsuit, filed on behalf of homeowner Melanie McQuiddy against Xcel Energy Services and two other utilities, alleged that the blaze started “when a wooden pole defendants failed to properly inspect, maintain and replace, splintered and snapped off at its base”.
She claimed the pole was in bad physical shape before it fell.
A spokesperson for Xcel said there is no official determination for the causes of any of the fires in the Texas Panhandle and that investigations are continuing.