Texas wildfire: Hundreds of structures destroyed as biggest wildfire in state history could spread more rapidly

CNN
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The largest wildfire in Texas history continues to rip through the state’s Panhandle, destroying as many as 500 structures. The disaster is far from over, with the fires expected to spread faster this weekend, with strong winds and dry air fanning the flames.

The Smokehouse Creek Fire has killed two people, destroyed thousands of cattle and engulfed more than 1 million acres, making it the largest wildfire in Texas history. 31,500 acres in Oklahoma also burned. As of Friday afternoon, the fire was only 15% contained.

It was one of four wildfires sweeping across the Texas Panhandle this week, destroying homes and throwing businesses into chaos. The fire burned an area equivalent to the entire state of Delaware.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at least 400 to 500 structures were destroyed, but “there’s no way to say with certainty that that will be the final number because the assessment process is still ongoing,” he said Friday afternoon.

“Typically, when you see the aftermath of damage, you find that some structure is still there,” Abbott said. “When you see the damage here, it’s gone. Completely gone. There’s just ash on the ground, so anyone who’s been through this has experienced complete devastation.”

• The Windy Deuce Fire, Texas’ second-largest fire, has burned 142,000 acres and was 60% contained as of Friday, according to the Texas A&M University Forest Service.

• The Grape Vine Creek Fire has burned 30,000 acres and is 60 percent contained.

• The Magenta Fire has burned 3,300 acres and is 85% contained.

• GoFundMe announces the launch of a verified fundraising hub to assist Texas wildfire victims.

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• The Smokehouse Creek Fire, which briefly slowed Thursday due to weakening winds and some precipitation, could spread more quickly this weekend as dry air and stronger winds move in.

• High temperatures will reach 80 degrees in the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandle on Saturday and Sunday. Winds could reach 40 mph by Sunday, according to the National Weather Service office. Amarillo, Texas.

• As Texas prepares to celebrate the state’s Independence Day on Saturday, fire risks increase and officials issue an emergency warning to use extreme caution when setting off fireworks.

• A staggering 400,000 acres burned in Hemphill County, with dozens of homes destroyed and thousands of cattle destroyed, said Andy Holloway, Hemphill County AgriLife Extension agent. die. The family of a Hemphill County truck driver says she died in the Smokehouse Creek Fire.

• Another woman died when her home was destroyed in Hutchinson County, her family said. Search and rescue crews have begun clearing communities across the county, and officials encourage anyone in the area with a missing loved one to contact the Wildfire Information Hotline.

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• The city of Fritsch, Texas, is under a boil water notice — although Hutchinson County officials admit “it’s difficult to do because many residents don’t have electricity and/or gas.” Some churches and other locations are handing out water bottles, officials said.

“She basically couldn’t breathe… but she didn’t survive.”

Truck driver Cindy Owen was hit by the Smokehouse Creek Fire about 50 miles north of Pampa, Texas, on Tuesday, her sister-in-law told CNN.

“She basically couldn’t breathe and she evacuated the truck and tried to run to safety but was unsuccessful,” said Jennifer Mitchell, the Owen brother’s wife. “So she was found with burns, and she had burns to about 90% of her body %.”

Mitchell said Irving was on a video chat when the disaster struck and her family scrambled to find someone to help her.

But hell soon overcame her. Owen died in the fire in Hemphill County, Texas, Department of Public Safety Sgt. Chris Ray said…

Owen, 44, was devoted to her family and “would do anything for anybody,” including stopping to give people coats on cold days, her sister-in-law said.

“She was everyone’s friend, everyone knew her,” Mitchell said. “There’s nothing good to say about her. She’s the nicest person ever.”

In nearby Hutchinson County, 83-year-old Joyce Blankenship also died in the Smokehouse Creek Fire, family members said.

“The house is gone,” her grandson Nathan Blankenship said. “There’s no way she’s getting out.”

The beloved grandmother was well-known in the small community of Stinnett, said her step-grandson, Lee Quesada.

“Before she became a homemaker, she was a substitute teacher in the district,” Quesada said. “She will be missed by all.”

Wildfires have killed thousands of cattle and destroyed critical equipment in the Texas Panhandle.

The 120-year-old Turkey Track Ranch, nicknamed “The Prize of the Panhandle,” estimates that 80 percent of its nearly 80,000 acres has burned.

“We believe the loss of livestock, crops and wildlife, as well as pasture fencing and other infrastructure, along with the loss of other pastures and homes throughout the region, is unprecedented in our history,” it said in a statement.

But the organization also expressed optimism: “After the fires, nature will heal and all the natural grasses, vegetation and trees on our beloved ranch oasis will grow back.”

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Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said the damage to the region could be “catastrophic.”

“Not only are these fires threatening life and property, they will have a significant impact on our agriculture,” Miller said. “More than 85 percent of the state’s cattle herds are located on ranches in the Panhandle. There are millions of cattle there, and some There are more cattle than people in the towns.”

The Texas Farm Bureau has established the Texas Panhandle Wildfire Relief Fund to assist farmers and ranchers affected by the fires.

CNN’s Mary Gilbert, Andy Ross, Eric Zucker and Steve Almasy contributed to this report.