The fire is ravaging large parts of North Texas and leaving terrible images in the Panhandle area in the northern part of the state. In addition to the forested area, the flames have consumed homes, engulfed cars, burned ranches and killed cattle and have already claimed the first fatality, an 83-year-old woman from the town of Stinnett. Evacuations from the affected areas prevented a larger number of deaths. A series of fires declared since Monday and spread by strong winds have already burned 850,000 acres of land (about 344,000 hectares), according to an update released by forest officials on Wednesday, saying they are only Fires contain 3%. It is the second-largest fire in Texas history and its severity has left the state in dire straits, prompting calls for federal help.
The affected area is larger than that of the state of Rhode Island. The incident is close to the largest in Texas, the East Amarillo incident in March 2006, in which 907,000 acres burned. Some satellite images suggest it could even be exceeded. 13 people died in this fire. Although there is currently only one confirmed death, it is feared there could be more.
The area burned is already twice as large as the third largest fire of all time, the March 1988 Big Country fire. Most of the worst fires in Texas occur between January and May. The dryness of the pastures after winter and the strong winds create a high-risk situation. In addition, there are unusually high temperatures this year.
According to White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre, United States President Joe Biden received information about the fire on Wednesday. “We are grateful to the brave firefighters and first responders who are working to protect people and save lives. And we urge everyone in the affected area to remain vigilant and heed the warnings of local authorities, particularly those who have been ordered to evacuate.”
The federal administration is assisting state authorities in both Texas and neighboring Oklahoma, which is also affected by the fire. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to deploy additional emergency resources “to ensure the safety of Texans and affected communities,” he said in a statement. “I encourage Texans in affected areas to follow the guidance of local officials and first responders and take all necessary precautions to protect your family and loved ones.” Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties.
The wind and dry grasses continue to help the fire spread, leaving black areas of the landscape. Temperatures will drop on Thursday and there could even be some rain, but a warmer and drier environment is expected over the weekend, not only in North Texas but also in other areas of the state, making it dangerous. .
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The advance of the flames caused the main facility dismantling the US nuclear arsenal to pause operations on Tuesday night, but was able to reopen and operate normally on Wednesday. This is the Pantex factory southeast of Amarillo. It is one of the National Nuclear Security Administration facilities. The plant has been the primary U.S. site for assembling and dismantling nuclear bombs since 1975. The last new bomb was manufactured in 1991 and thousands of weapons were dismantled from military arsenals.
The remains of a burned home in Canadian, Texas, Wednesday, February 28, 2024. Sean Murphy (AP)
Evacuations
Meanwhile, residents had to be evacuated from areas destroyed by the flames. “There was a time when we couldn't see anything,” Greg Downey, 57, described his escape from the flames that swept through his neighborhood. “I didn’t think we were going to get out of there,” he added, according to testimony collected by the AP.
Bill Kendall, emergency management coordinator for Hemphill County, described the charred site as “a moonscape”: “It's just gone.” Kendall said about 40 homes burned around the town of Canadian, but no buildings were lost in the community . Kendall also said he saw “hundreds of dead cattle lying in the fields.” Tresea Rankin filmed her own Canadian home as it burned. “Thirty-eight years of memories, that’s what I thought,” Rankin said as he watched the flames destroy his home. “Two of my children got married there. But nothing happens, the memories don’t disappear.”
The small town of Fritch, north of Amarillo, lost hundreds of homes in a fire in 2014 and appeared to be hit hard again. Mayor Tom Ray said Wednesday that an estimated 40 to 50 homes were destroyed in the south end. Ray said natural gas remains off limits to the town of 2,200. Residents are likely “unprepared for what they will see when they come into town,” Hutchinson County Emergency Management spokeswoman Deidra Thomas said in a livestream on social media, which the AP also reported. He compared the damage to that of a tornado.
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