On Thursday, wildfires persisted across the Texas panhandle, prompting extensive evacuations and resulting in two fatalities, with the Smokehouse Creek Fire emerging as the state’s largest on record.
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, as of Thursday morning, 130 fires were active throughout the state.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire, encompassing an area exceeding 1 million acres—larger than the state of Rhode Island—remained minimally contained at 3% by Thursday.
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Earlier in the week, the Smokehouse inferno prompted a temporary shutdown of a nuclear facility, while the 687 Reamer Fire contributed to its expansion by consuming an additional 2,000 acres of land.
On Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster for 60 counties in Texas, followed by a directive on Wednesday for the Texas Division of Emergency Management to escalate its preparedness level in response to the ongoing fires.
As of Thursday, numerous fires persisted across Texas, extending beyond state borders into Oklahoma.
According to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, the Windy Deuce fire had engulfed a minimum of 142,000 acres and was 50% contained.
The Grape Vine Creek Fire was nearly two-thirds contained after ravaging 30,000 acres, while the Magenta Fire had scorched an additional 3,300 acres.
Deaths Confirmed in Smoke House Creek Fire
Authorities have confirmed two fatalities resulting from the wildfires in the Smoke House Creek Fire this week.
According to Sergeant Chris Ray of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Cindy Owen was driving in Hemphill County on Tuesday afternoon when she encountered fire or smoke. Upon exiting her vehicle, she was overtaken by flames.
Owen was discovered by a passerby who alerted first responders, subsequently transporting her to a burn unit in Oklahoma.
She succumbed to her injuries on Thursday morning.
The second victim, identified as 83-year-old Joyce Blankenship by her family members, including grandson Lee Quesada, was a former substitute teacher.
Blankenship’s remains were discovered in her burned residence by deputies, as related to Quesada’s uncle on Wednesday.
The extent of structural damage or destruction remains undetermined, with investigative teams currently assessing the situation, as noted by O’Connor.
During his visit to the US-Mexico border in Texas on Thursday, President Joe Biden announced that he instructed federal authorities to utilize all available resources to aid communities impacted by the fires.
This assistance includes dispatching firefighters and equipment to affected areas. President Biden further stated that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has assured reimbursement for emergency expenses incurred by Texas and Oklahoma.