Rain and snow are forecasted to hit parts of the Texas Panhandle starting Thursday, offering a potential reprieve for the state as it battles the largest wildfire in its history.
Since Monday, the blaze has destroyed up to 500 homes and businesses, killed at least two people—Cindy Owen, 44, and Joyce Blankenship, 83—and led to the euthanization of thousands of cattle due to injuries.
The National Weather Service in Amarillo warns that the severe weather could bring hail and thunderstorms, with damaging winds persisting. However, these cooler conditions could aid in firefighting efforts and reduce the risk of new fires, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Rain and snow could aid firefighting efforts in Texas Panhandle’s largest wildfire in history.The wildfires have scorched over 1.1 million acres, about five times the size of New York City. The Smokehouse Creek fire, the largest in Texas history, is 37% contained and has burned through 1,059,570 acres.
Other significant fires include the Windy Deuce fire, which has consumed 150,000 acres and is 55% contained, and the Grapevine Creek fire at 35,000 acres, which is 60% contained.
Firefighters are working to control the fires while preventing new spot fires from igniting within the burned areas. Despite the extensive damage, new outbreaks remain a risk due to pockets of unburned vegetation.
Additional firefighting resources have been mobilized to manage emerging fires, with the Roughneck fire in Hutchinson County, which displaced around 200 families, being 80% contained as of Tuesday morning.
The wildfires have devastated towns like Fritch and Miami, Texas, with significant destruction visible in satellite images. The fire has also spread into western Oklahoma. Tragically, Fire Chief Zeb Smith passed away on Tuesday from unrelated injuries while battling the blazes.
A lawsuit has been filed claiming that a faulty utility pole may have started the fires. Investigations into the cause are ongoing.