The Smokehouse Creek fire in Hutchinson County, northeast of Amarillo, has burned about 250,000 acres and was 0% contained as of Tuesday evening, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service, the state agency.
The fire broke out on Monday and was reported to have consumed 100,000 acres by Tuesday morning, according to the forest service.
National Weather Service Tuesday called fire conditions in Hutchinson County “critical” with very dry grass and maximum winds of 65 mph.
Scotts Acres in Stinnett, a community of about 1,600 in Hutchinson County, was under a mandatory evacuation order Tuesday, officials said. Gas was cut off to the city on Tuesday, but was later restored.
A video posted on social media from the Stinnett area shows cattle fleeing a field behind a vehicle with smoke from the fires trailing behind it.
Katlyn Butler said the video is of cattle being released to escape wildfires near the Turkey Track Ranch east of Stinnett. This was reported by Amarillo’s NBC affiliate KAMR.
“We’ve been on fire for 24 hours,” Butler said. He added that “our farm is alone because all the fire departments had to move to the city to save the communities.”
The city of Pampa offered a voluntary evacuation Tuesday as firefighters battled a blaze north of the city of about 16,000 people, but it was later lifted. The government of Pampa continued to fight the fire He said on Facebook.
In eastern Canada, schools were canceled on Wednesday.
“I hope everyone is safe,” Canadian Independent School Superintendent Lynn Pulliam said in a message to the community.
By Tuesday evening, a “red flag” warning for increased wildfire risk was in place for northwest and northern Texas, much of Oklahoma and southwest Missouri. air service.
A strong wind warning has also been issued for northwest Texas.
In addition to the Smokehouse Creek fire, the Grapevine Creek fire, also in the Texas Panhandle, was about 30,000 acres with 20% containment, and the Juliet Pass fire was just over 2,900 acres and 90% contained, according to Texas. A&M Forest Service.