Four active wildfires are currently spreading across Texas, with crews working hard to control the flames and residents being instructed to evacuate.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire has scorched over 200,000 acres since it started on Monday and currently has no containment, as per the Texas A&M Forest Service.
KVII has reported that evacuation orders have been issued for the towns of Canadian, Glazier, and Higgins for its residents.
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According to AccuWeather severe weather expert Dan Pearson, the Smokehouse Creek fire is being intensified by southwesterly winds reaching speeds of 60 mph, causing it to quickly advance east-northeast towards the Texas town of Canadian.
Between 3:30 p.m. CT and 4:30 p.m. CT, winds are expected to shift behind a strong cold front, leading to a rapid change in the direction of the fire’s spread.
City officials in Fritch, Texas have also instructed evacuations because of a different fire.
The Grape Vine Creek Fire has expanded to cover 30,000 acres and containment is currently at 20 percent. The Windy Deuce Fire spans 8,000 acres with 20% containment, while the Juliet Pass Fire covers 2,963 acres with 90% containment.
Texas Town Orders Emergency Evacuations Amid Wildfire Threat
The Hansford County Office of Emergency Management posted on Facebook that the town is facing a fire threat, and evacuations of the double Diamond area are being carried out as directed by Judge Irwin Hutchinson County.
Judge Irwin expressed gratitude to Hansford County for providing resources to assist! An order for a disaster declaration has been issued!
Additional evacuations in our vicinity are listed below Canadians have been advised to evacuate, along with residents on the North River in Roberts county.
A red flag warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for more than 11 million Texans impacted by the fires.
Fox West Texas reported that the warning was prompted by warm temperatures, gusty winds, and dry conditions.
A red flag warning is currently in effect from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. with critical fire conditions expected to impact the northwestern Concho Valley and most of the Big Country. Expect powerful westerly winds reaching speeds of 35 to 45 mph, with gusts potentially reaching up to 65 mph.
The weather service reported that critical fire weather conditions persist through this evening across all of the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles because of strong west winds.
It has been recommended by the National Weather Service to refrain from engaging in outdoor activities that could generate open flames or sparks.
According to a recent tweet, Texas Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd warned that the fire weather conditions today will be challenging.
We are allocating more resources to the area. Be cautious of fire trucks and heavy machinery. Prepare to evacuate if instructed by your local authorities.
On Monday, the Texas A&M Forest Service reported responding to 13 wildfires covering 77,135 acres.
Multiple significant wildfires started in the Texas Panhandle due to warm, dry, and windy conditions.
Today, the service mentioned on Twitter that strong winds will likely impact the wildfires and there is still a potential for new ignitions.
According to meteorologist Dan DePodwin from AccuWeather, the strong winds affecting the fires in the Texas Panhandle are forecasted to persist into Tuesday evening, before easing to 15-25 mph after midnight.
Wednesday’s winds are forecasted to be 10-20 mph, a significant decrease from Tuesday. This will be beneficial for firefighting efforts.
