Texas Panhandle wildfires: What you need to know about the blazes, damage and recovery
The full scope of damage still isn’t known, but some Panhandle residents have returned home. Firefighters continue battling the infernos. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d15daed6c1e9d8bab020d087d04acfad/0303%20Panhandle%20Canadian%20JR%20TT%2009.jpg)
Featured coverage
Texas wildfires: how to help and how to stay safe
As firefighters work to put out the largest wildfire in Texas history, here’s a guide to fire weather watches, safety tips and how to find organizations collecting donations to directly help local residents, including farmers and ranchers. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2789595a411d3cbaa5aa23560f84e1c5/0229%20Panhandle%20Fire%20MR%2018.jpg)
Latest coverage
-
Unregulated oilfield power lines are suspected of sparking Texas wildfires
No state agency is taking responsibility for making sure the privately built lines that power many oil and gas sites are safe. Such lines have been blamed for sparking two recent Panhandle fires. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e194f20d8b90fb810cb868a3308df444/0707%20Wildfire%20Power%20Lines%20AR%20TT%2024.jpg)
![Craig Cowden shows parts of his property that are negligent from oil companies using his land, Sunday, July 7, 2024, at Breezy Point Ranch in Pampa, Texas. Cowden has made numerous complaints about the live wires and trash on his property.]()
Credit: Annie Rice for The Texas Tribune -
Three months after the Texas’ largest wildfire, Panhandle residents are preparing for the next one
Short of an immediate statewide response, Texans who lost homes and livestock are taking matters into their own hands to better prepare their property for a wildfire. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/841f86387ce02d9782247f4d9cffd1a3/0403%20Wildfire%20File%20MC%20TT%2052.jpg)
![Green grass grows around plants and trees scorched by Smokehouse Creek wildfire on April 3, 2024 near Canadian. “The lands recover faster than the people,” said Janet Guthrie, a Canadian resident who raises cattle in Hemphill Co.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
Ted Cruz and Ronny Jackson push legislation to help ranchers who lost livestock in Panhandle wildfires
The Republican senator and congressman introduced a bill that would expand a federal aid program to pay ranchers when pregnant cattle are killed in disasters. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3e555808dcf43d155e1dd3d974e189e3/0303%20Panhandle%20Canadian%20JR%20TT%2031.jpg)
![Cattle stand in the burn scar from the Smokehouse Creek fire Sunday, March. 3, 2024, in Hemphill County, Texas.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune
-
Decayed power pole sparked the largest wildfire in state history, Texas House committee confirms
A lack of air support and ineffective coordination hurt efforts to contain this year's Panhandle fires, the committee said. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/ed5ccc3f096b38c0a1e29fe677bdfda1/0229%20Panhandle%20Fire%20MR%2008.jpg)
![A building destroyed by fire sits in ashes in the Texas R.V. Park in Fritch, TX. Snow and rainfall on Thursday offered temporary relief to firefighters battling the blaze but weather conditions this weekend may cause the fire to spread again.]()
Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune -
After Texas’ largest wildfire is contained, a rancher moves on with a single calf
In testimony to state lawmakers, Dale Jenkins and his Panhandle peers shared the “hidden cost” of the wildfires. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/04f1f04c0f6461a06c054fe042091eb4/0403%20Dale%20Jenkins%20MC%2034.jpg)
![Dale Jenkins poses for a photo inside a cattle pen where he left his livestock prior to the Smokehouse Creek fires on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 in Canadian. “You'd be out there fighting this fire and you're all by yourself,” Jenkins said. “There's not a soul round. But you've got light from the fire line. And you're working at it and concentrating so hard and finally you get to the end you finally put up the last flames and then it's just totally dark and totally quiet is a really it's an interesting feeling.”]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
Public blasts Texas agencies, regulators for poor communication and oversight at wildfire hearings
Thursday’s hearing marked the end of the Legislature’s three-day marathon of public hearings. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/ceeb2a08bff9651c4e4d7a67d09d61d8/0404%20Thursday%20Panhandle%20Wildfires%20Hearings%20MC%2009.jpg)
![Craig Cowden gives testimony to the house committee investigating the Panhandle wildfires Thursday, April 4, 2024 in Pampa.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
Utility pole inspection company declines to testify at Texas Panhandle wildfire investigation hearing
The Texas A&M Forest Service concluded that a fallen decayed utility pole caused the Smokehouse Creek fire. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/25916984921e48e0734bd0bec6be06bd/0402%20Tuesday%20Panhandle%20Wildfires%20Hearings%20MC%2002.jpg)
![State Rep Ken King, R-Canadian, speaks during an investigative house committee hearing on the Texas Panhandle wildfires Tuesday, April 2, 2024 in Pampa. In late February, the largest wildfire in Texas history raged across the panhandle, burning just over a million acres.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
Texas emergency director calls for firefighting air force after historic Panhandle fires
A special legislative committee is investigating what caused the Smokehouse Creek fire, the largest in state history. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/6ebff90abe4543f0664deb569256a920/0402%20Tuesday%20Panhandle%20Wildfires%20Hearings%20MC%2008.jpg)
![From left, Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Chief Wes Moorehead, Director of Texas A&M Forest Service, Al Davis, and Chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management Nim Kidd, sit before a House Committee investigating the Panhandle wildfires Tuesday, April 2, 2024 in Pampa. On Tuesday, testimony focused on topics relating to the largest wildfire in Texas history.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
Texas firefighters completely contain Panhandle inferno that burned more than 1 million acres
A series of deadly wildfires have burned for nearly three weeks, destroying farms and ranches in several counties. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2aaf37581aea2f77de2e929a64064482/0303%20Panhandle%20Canadian%20JR%2003.jpg)
![A burned yucca stands in a field after the Smokehouse Creek fire Sunday, March. 3, 2024, in Hemphill County, Texas.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
“It does not get easier”: Texas ranchers lose cattle and land in historic wildfires
As ranchers recover from the Smokehouse Creek fire, they face the agonizing choice of what to do with an unknown number of injured cattle. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/8cf0122f1581ce3642140f0d290b5f14/0303%20Panhandle%20Canadian%20JR%20TT%2025.jpg)
![Cattle stand in the burn scar from the Smokehouse Creek fire Sunday, March. 3, 2024, in Hemphill County, Texas.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
Texas legislative committee to investigate cause of Panhandle wildfires
The panel of three lawmakers and two residents will also look at disaster preparedness. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/6cdb1ce27ce93cf70fff1c5dd1c5a1e1/0303%20Panhandle%20Canadian%20JR%2035.jpg)
![Charred ground left by the Smokehouse Creek fire after the fire burned through Currie Smith’s ranch Sunday, March. 3, 2024, in Hemphill County, Texas.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
Texas firefighters closer to extinguishing Panhandle wildfires
As crews fight to keep deadly blazes under control, weather conditions could increase risk of more fires. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/1698077387b467cb84a1a760f00595dd/0303%20Roughneck%20Fire%20JR%20TT%2001.jpg)
![A Chinook helicopter responds to the Roughneck fire near Sanford on March. 3, 2024.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
As their neighbors fled, these Texas volunteer firefighters raced toward the flames
The wildfires offers a reminder that most of rural Texas is protected by volunteers. And there aren’t many of them. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b330810d05ab5548b228afb9c3957d37/Panhandle%20Wildfire%20Reuters%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Local firefighters work to contain a wildfire after it was whipped up by high winds in Pampa on March 2, 2024.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Leah Millis -
Xcel Energy acknowledges role in Texas’ Smokehouse Creek wildfire
The Smokehouse Creek Fire has grown to be the largest in state history. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/649db2068637b4d5cb3c2ca364cd2c49/0228%20Smokehouse%20Creek%20Firefighters%20REUTERS.jpg)
![A drone view shows firefighters spraying trees with water after the Smokehouse Creek fire burned through the area in Roberts County, on Feb. 28, 2024.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Nathan Frandino -
Facing staggering losses from wildfires, Panhandle ranchers and farmers seek aid to rebuild
Ranchers have likely lost thousands of cattle in the wildfires, according to some preliminary estimates. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/a2c77795a335156bc6f049b195ea6bc1/0305%20USDA%20Wildfire%20Info%20MR%20TT%2007.jpg)
![Christy Oats, left, talks to the farmers and ranchers attending a USDA informational meeting at the Hemphill County Exhibition center in Canadian on March 5, 2024.]()
Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune -
Many homes burned in the Texas wildfires weren’t insured, creating a steep path to recovery
Rural Texans are more than twice as likely to go without homeowners insurance than their urban peers. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/54984ecfa5862b83d8a5f7789cd65e7a/0301%20Wildfires%20McBroom%20JR%2021.jpg)
![A burned truck sits on lot in Fritch where the fire went through while areas behind appear to be untouched Friday, March. 1, 2024.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
Panhandle residents begin rebuilding, even as fight to contain fires continues
The fire that engulfed their town was only 15% contained over the weekend, but Canadian residents were back to selling flowers and preparing for an election. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/99488e3fe52e7a210639fe4e2269d361/0303%20Panhandle%20Canadian%20JR%20TT%2022.jpg)
![Martin Ocasio loads pallets of cattle cubes onto a trailer to be delivered to a rancher, in the Hemphill County Extension building in Canadian on Sunday, March. 3, 2024.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
State calls for investigation into cause of Texas Panhandle wildfires
As officials try to determine a cause for the wildfires, a Canadian homeowner filed a lawsuit blaming an energy company for the destruction. And more are expected. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/95de6cd4bc2f4391fd29f90013826452/0301%20Panhandle%20Fire%20Abbott%20JR%2002.jpg)
![Texas Governor Greg Abbott, center, speaks at a press conference with Nim Kidd chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, left, and Hutchinson County Judge Cindy Irwin, right, Friday, March. 1, 2024, in Borger, Texas.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
As wildfires rage through Panhandle, Fritch residents seek respite at church
Shaken by the devastation, families find comfort in each other as they pick through the rubble and commune at a church in nearby Borger. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d2c6ceb980e21788fd1000b9b6042a10/0301%20Wildfires%20McBroom%20JH%2007.jpg)
![Scott McBroom looks at the rubble of his burned house Friday, March. 1, 2024, in Fritch, Texas.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
Wildfires ravage cattle country, threatening Texas’ agriculture economy
Texas wildfires have consumed acres of agricultural land, killing thousands of livestock, destroying crops and exacerbating challenges lingering from last year’s drought. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2a55b4fb9c48d79990f2fb88b0e177e4/0301%20Panhandle%20Fire%20JR%2006.jpg)
![Don Gourd watches hay be loaded onto his trailer to take to neighbors affected by the Smokehouse Fire Friday, March. 1, 2024, in Borger, Texas.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
New Panhandle wildfire emerges, forcing evacuation of tiny town of Sanford
Get the latest updates as firefighters continue battling massive fires that have burned more than 1 million acres. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/81d8479dfc4db338527bcb765533eeff/0303%20Roughneck%20Fire%20JR%20TT%2003.jpg)
![A plane prepares drops retardant on the Roughneck fire near Sanford on Sunday, March. 3, 2024.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
Record winter heat, dry air helped drive Panhandle fire risk
Texas has a wildfire season in winter, but climate change is extending it, scientists say. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b5f6e6da0264880ee8954d021297c7c5/0301%20Panhandle%20Fires%20JR%2002.jpg)
![Smoke hangs in the Canadian River Valley south of Stinnett, Texas after multiple days of wild fires Friday, March. 1, 2024.]()
Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune -
Texans in the Panhandle recall towering smoke and darkened skies as wildfires crept near their towns
The fires have left at least two people dead and four injured firefighters. Cattle have been lost and homes and businesses decimated in their wake. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/24ad257575f2113d078a55633847eafe/0229%20Panhandle%20Fire%20MR%2013.jpg)
![A car sits front of the burned the Rose Trailer Sales business on State Highway 136. Residents have been working to recover from the Tuesday grass fires that devastated parts of the panhandle.]()
Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune -
Firefighters rush to subdue deadly Panhandle wildfire before dangerous conditions return Saturday
Light rain and snow Thursday allowed firefighters to gain better control of the state’s largest-ever fire, which has killed at least two people. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/69262fa65c1ef8d9218ce9ae41b0f0a7/2024-02-28T233029Z_493436648_RC2RB6AKXNER_RTRMADP_3_USA-WILDFIRES.JPG)
![A satellite view of the aftermath of the Smokehouse Creek wildfire in Fritch, Texas, U.S. February 28, 2024.]()
Credit: Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS -
Texas wildfires continue growing as firefighters struggle to contain massive Panhandle blazes
The five fires have burned more than a million acres — more than double the landmass of Houston — as residents have fled or sheltered in place. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/8e5eb7cce961a23e9359b095ccfb08e6/0227%20Panhandle%20Fire%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Wildfires have erupted in the Texas Panhandle this week.]()
Credit: Screenshot from Texas A&M Forest Service video