Panhandle wildfire rages through more than 1 million acres, becoming the largest in Texas history

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

The Panhandle fires burned through more than 1.1 million acres of land on Thursday, becoming the largest wildfire event in Texas history, according to Texas A&M Forest Service.

The Smoke Creek fire alone, which broke out Monday afternoon in Hutchinson County, has surpassed the million acreage mark. It is already larger than the East Amarillo Complex fire in 2006, which blazed through 906,000 acres of land.

The Smoke Creek fire was followed by a second one in Moore County, located 35 miles west of Hutchinson County, which has burned through 142,000 acres of land.

Firefighters have been struggling to contain the expanse, managing to quell the Smoke Creek fire by only 3%. The Moore County fire is 30% contained. Those numbers have remained largely unchanged since Wednesday.

The fires have ravaged nearly 2,000 square miles. Two other fires are still spreading through the region Thursday and a third smaller blaze was 100% contained, according to Texas A&M Forest Service.

The National Weather Service in Lubbock said early Thursday that light snow began to cover the region, with temperatures dropping lower than 30 degrees. In Hutchinson County, the weather agency said the area would remain “mostly cloudy” for the rest of the day. The agency is expecting rain or snow through the late morning, and a “slight chance of rain or snow showers” in the afternoon. Meteorologists don’t expect the precipitation will provide significant help to quell the larger fires.

Local officials in Hemphill County were still assessing the extent of the damage late Wednesday. Canadian — a city of 2300 in Hemphill County — shouldered the brunt of the catastrophe. The fires destroyed approximately 40 homes, according to early estimates by Hemphill County Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Kendall.

“We’re just trying to figure out what the needs are right now,” Kendall said. “But we don’t know exactly what’s needed. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties in the area, directing the Texas Division of Emergency Management to deploy more resources and firefighters to contain the blaze.

In the cities of Canadian, Fritch and Glazier, officials on Tuesday ordered nearly 5,000 residents to evacuate or shelter in place. By Wednesday, Hemphill County officials lifted the evacuation order and said city services would resume that day.

Local officials are working to clear up roadblocks and set up donation centers, according to the Canadian Record, which has provided periodic updates on social media.

We can’t wait to welcome you to downtown Austin Sept. 5-7 for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival! Join us at Texas’ breakout politics and policy event as we dig into the 2024 elections, state and national politics, the state of democracy, and so much more. When tickets go on sale this spring, Tribune members will save big. Donate to join or renew today.