Texas Wildfire: Largest In State History, Killing One Person

After scorching over a million acres (404,686 hectares) of grassland and woodland and destroying homes in small villages scattered around the Panhandle, fire firefighters battled to contain the largest wildfire in Texas history.

Largest Wildfire In Texas

The Texas A&M Forest Service reported that the Smokehouse Creek Fire had doubled in size.

In recent days, powerful winds have blasted across the sparsely populated area. During this brief respite, firefighters utilized the opportunity to create barriers and douse hot patches of toppled trees and dense grass.

"This is now the largest fire in recorded Texas history," said Erin O'Connor, lead public information officer for Texas A&M Forest Service.

Snow brought some relief to the parched terrain, but the temperature is predicted to persist over the weekend.

The Texas A&M Forest Service predicts that there will be a higher chance of wildfire activity on the Plains on the weekend due to the possibility of strong winds over West Texas.

Governor Greg Abbott of Texas declared 60 counties to be under a state of emergency and ordered the Texas Division of Emergency Management to be more prepared for the wildfires.

As of Thursday noon, there were four active wildfires blazing in the Texas Panhandle region:

Smokehouse Creek Fire, Hutchinson County, est. 1,075,000 acres, 3% contained. The 687 Reamer Fire has merged with Smokehouse Creek.
Windy Deuce Fire, Moore County, est. 142,000 acres, 30% contained
Grape Vine Creek Fire, Gray County, est. 30,000 acres, 60% contained
Magenta Fire, Oldham County, est. 2,500 acres, 65% contained

While Texas is in the midst of its natural fire season, which runs from January to May, the size of the Smokehouse Creek blaze stands out, according to Flavio Lehner, an atmospheric science professor at Cornell University.

He believes that human-caused climate change is a contributing element, though no precise cause has yet been recognized by officials.

"It's warmer than it has been in the past, and that makes the vegetation drier, you add in the lack of rainfall, and that makes the conditions right for fire," Lehner said.

Damages And Casualty

The number of structures burned or people evacuated was also unknown, however, scores of residences had been devastated.

Texas A&M also reported that at least one person died in the fire.

Joyce Blankenship, 83, was discovered dead in her Stinnett, Texas, house on Wednesday as wildfires destroyed the area. Her relatives describe her as a devoted mother, grandma, and former substitute teacher.

Her grandson, Lee Quesada, stated that he had posted in a community forum asking for help in locating her. Quesada said authorities informed his uncle that Blankenship's remains had been discovered in her burned-out home.

Quesada said she'd occasionally surprise him with humorous stories "about her more ornery days."

"Just talking to her was a joy," he recalled, noting that she went by the moniker "Joy."

Although a lone fatality is reported as of press time, the authorities have yet to conduct a thorough search for victims but have warned that the destruction to certain areas is severe.