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The damage from a deadly wildfire that has killed two people, destroyed thousands of cattle and scorched more than a million acres is likely to intensify Friday and into the weekend as the blaze is driven by fierce winds and dry air. be.
The most destructive fire, the Smokehouse Creek Fire, is now the largest wildfire on record in Texas, engulfing at least 1.05 million acres in the state and another 31,500 acres in Oklahoma. As of Friday morning, the giant inferno was only 15% contained.
It's one of four wildfires in the Texas Panhandle this week that have destroyed dozens of homes and devastated businesses. Combined, these fires burned an area roughly the size of Delaware.
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• The Windy Deuce Fire, Texas' second largest fire, has burned 142,000 acres and was 55% contained as of Thursday night, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
• The Grapevine Creek Fire has burned 30,000 acres and is 60% contained.
• The Magenta Fire has burned 3,300 acres and is 85% contained.
•Texas A&M Forest Service spokesman Juan Rodriguez said Thursday night that rugged terrain and topography is preventing firefighters from accessing portions of the Smokehouse Creek Fire. The agency said about 200 employees are battling the fire.
• The Smokehouse Creek Fire temporarily slowed Thursday due to light winds and precipitation, but dry air and strong winds could cause it to spread faster Friday and this weekend.
• High temperatures in the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles will reach 80 degrees Saturday and Sunday. Wind speeds could reach up to 40 mph by Sunday, the National Weather Service said. Amarillo, Texas.
• As Texans prepare to celebrate the state's Independence Day on Saturday, the danger of fires is increasing and authorities are issuing an emergency warning to use extreme caution when using fireworks.
• A staggering 400,000 acres were burned in Hemphill County, numerous homes destroyed and thousands of cattle killed, said Andy Holloway, Hemphill County AgriLife Extension agent. A truck driver has died in the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Hemphill County, his family announced.
• Another woman died after her home was destroyed in Hutchinson County, her family said. Search and rescue teams have begun cleaning neighborhoods across the county, and officials encouraged anyone in the area with a missing loved one to call the wildfire tip line.
• Fritch, Texas, is under a boil water warning, but Hutchinson County officials acknowledged that “that would be difficult to do because many residents do not have electricity or gas.” Officials said water bottles were being distributed at several churches and other locations.
• Texas Governor Greg Abbott is scheduled to visit the Panhandle on Friday and hold a press conference in the afternoon.
“She basically couldn't breathe, couldn't breathe.”
Truck driver Cindy Owen was caught up in the Smokehouse Creek Fire on Tuesday while on duty about 80 miles north of Pampa, Texas, her sister-in-law told CNN.
“She basically couldn't breathe and tried to evacuate the truck and run to safety, but she couldn't make it in time,” said Jennifer Mitchell, Owen's brother's wife. “There she was found with burns, about 90 percent of her body was burned.”
Mitchell said Owen was video chatting as the disaster unfolded and her family scrambled to find someone to help her.
family photo
Truck driver Cindy Owen often stopped on cold days to give people coats, her sister-in-law said.
But hell quickly overcame her. Owen died in a fire in Hemphill County, Texas. Chris Ray said.
Owen, 44, was devoted to his family and would “do anything for anyone,” including stopping his car on cold days to give people coats, his sister-in-law said.
“She was everyone's friend and everyone knew her,” Mitchell said. “I can't say anything bad about her. She was the best person ever.”
In nearby Hutchinson County, 83-year-old Joyce Blankenship also died in the Smokehouse Creek Fire, her family said.
“The house is gone,” said grandson Nathan Blankenship. “There was no way for her to get out.”
Her beloved grandmother was well known in the small community of Stinnett, said her step-grandson Lee Quesada.
“She was a substitute teacher in the area before she became a housewife,” Quesada said. “She will be missed by everyone.”
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Wildfires have killed thousands of cattle and destroyed critical equipment in the Texas Panhandle.
The 120-year-old Turkey Truck Ranch, nicknamed “Panhandle Prize,” is estimated to have burned 80 percent of its approximately 80,000 acres.
“The loss of livestock, crops, wildlife, and ranch fencing and other infrastructure on our property, as well as other ranches and housing throughout the region, is unprecedented in our history. We believe that,” said the Turkey Truck Ranch Family Group. said in a statement.
But the group also expressed optimism. “Nature will repair after a fire and all the natural grasses, vegetation and trees in our beloved ranch oasis will grow back.”
David Erickson/AP
Firefighters are working to extinguish the Smokehouse Creek Fire in northern Canadian, Texas, on Wednesday.
Texas Department of Agriculture Secretary Sid Miller said the damage could be “catastrophic” for the region.
“These fires not only threaten lives and property, they will also have a significant impact on our nation's agriculture,” Miller said. “More than 85 percent of the state's cattle population is on ranches in the Panhandle. There are millions of cattle there, and some towns have more cattle than people.”
The Texas Department of Agriculture has established the Texas Panhandle Wildfire Relief Fund to assist farmers and ranchers affected by the fires.
CNN's Mary Gilbert, Andy Rose, Eric Zerkel and Steve Almasy contributed to this report.
