Flames continue to rage across the Texas Panhandle. One that is of particular concern to authorities is the Smokehouse Creek fire, which is already the second most destructive forest fire in the history of the United States after burning more than 1 million acres, and the most violent in the history of the state.
"Since last check, the Smokehouse Creek Fire has grown to 1.1 million acres and is approximately 3% contained. It is the largest and most destructive fire in Texas history. It is also the second largest wildfire in the history of the United States," said a group of volunteer firefighters in a post published on social media. This information was confirmed by the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Update: the #SmokehouseCreekFire in Hutchinson County is an estimated 1,075,000 acres and 3% contained. 1,050,000 acres have burned in Texas. The #687ReamerFire has burned into this fire. #txfire pic.twitter.com/HR0zqgX4jj
— Incident Information - Texas A&M Forest Service (@AllHazardsTFS) February 29, 2024
Firefighters have been able to contain just 3% of the fire at the moment, and the gusts of wind predicted for the coming days will make extinguishing efforts even more difficult. The dry environment and lack of precipitation are other adverse conditions that will affect authorities’ efforts to put out the flames.
Hutchinson County, where the Smokehouse Creek Fire is located, officials confirmed to CBS News the death of an 83-year-old person. A 44-year-old woman also died after being trapped by flames while driving her vehicle, according to AFP.
The situation caused Texas Governor Greg Abbott to issue a disaster declaration for 60 counties, including Hutchinson, and began deploying all state resources to carry out more effective extinguishing efforts.
