Texas Panhandle wildfires will affect cattle ranchers for years to come as firefight continues
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services is working to deploy feed, fence supplies and more needs for ranchers devastated by the wildfires in the Texas Panhandle. Xcel Energy said its power equipment may have started the largest wildfire in Texas history.
Crews make progress in containing largest wildfire in Texas state history
Crews working to contain and extinguish the largest wildfire in Texas state history have made some progress and say the Smokehouse Creek Fire is now 37% contained.
STINNETT, Texas – Firefighters across the Texas Panhandle are still attacking several large wildfires - including the record-sized Smokehouse Creek fire – possibly sparked by power equipment last week, as resources from around the country are being sent in to help cattle ranchers who lost land and cattle to the flames.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services is working to deploy feed, fence supplies and more needs for ranchers devastated by the wildfires in the Texas Panhandle. There are donation centers set up in eight counties impacted by the fires and supply points for feed and ranch supplies. A full list of locations and supplies needed can be found here.
FOX News Digital reports Texas ranchers unaffected by the fires are also organizing efforts to help those devastated by the fires.
Rancher Navy co-founder Morgan Broome told FOX News Digital the group has brought in nearly 40,000 bales of hay for cattle to the Texas Panhandle region.
Cattle graze on a small patch of green grass surrounded by scorched earth following the Smokehouse Creek Fire near Pampa, Texas, US, on Sunday, March 3, 2024. The Smokehouse Creek fire in Texas is the largest in the state's history and has consumed more than 1 million acres (405,000 hectares), according to Texas A&M Forest Service with dry gusts up to 50 miles per hour sweeping across Texas and the Plains through Sunday. Photographer: Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images
(Getty Images)
Meanwhile, firefighters continue working to contain and extinguish the largest wildfire in Texas history.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire, which broke out north of the town of Stinnett, continues to rage across the region after quickly exploding in size, becoming a historic fire in a matter of days.
WATCH: FORT WORTH FIREFIGHTERS DRIVE THROUGH FLAMES TO JOIN BATTLE AGAINST TEXAS WILDFIRE
(FOX Weather)
Progress has been made in containing the blaze. As of Thursday, the Smokehouse Creek Fire has scorched nearly 1.06 million acres and is now 74% contained.
On Thursday, Xcel Energy released a statement saying the Texas power provider is cooperating with the investigation into the start of the Texas wildfires and completed its own review.
Watch: Water dumped on Smokehouse Creek Fire in Texas
Video shows a Texas Army National Guard Chinook helicopter dumping water on the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Texas on March 2, 2024.
"Based on currently available information, Xcel Energy acknowledges that its facilities appear to have been involved in an ignition of the Smokehouse Creek fire," the company said.
The fire has so far scorched more than 1 million acres across Texas and Oklahoma. At least two people have died, while flames have burned more than 500 structures, killed countless livestock and destroyed thousands of acres of grass needed by ranchers to feed their cattle.
Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said that damage assessments continue, but at least 47 families have lost their homes.
Kidd said even with containment improving, the danger remains when the winds are expected to return.
"The men and women that are out there right now doing everything they can to put a perimeter around that, so as we see three different wind shifts just in today's weather and additional fire weather coming in Thursday and Friday," Kidd said on Wednesday. "We do not want any escape embers getting out of that and starting a new fire."
Critical fire threat ends
(FOX Weather)
This week brought some good news for the hundreds of people waging war against the wildfires as weather conditions have started to improve and the critical wildfire threat has eased.
A storm system moving out of the Rockies late this week could intensify over the southern Plains, allowing moisture to be pulled north into the fire-ravaged region.
![Smokehouse Creek Fire, Texas]()
Image 1 of 26Firefighters battle parts of the reignited Smokehouse Creek fire outside of Miami, Texas on Saturday, Mar 02, 2024. (Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)
![Smokehouse Creek Fire, Texas]()
Image 2 of 26Members of the Texas A&M Forest Service watch as a plane drops fire retardant a portion of the Smokehouse Creek Fire on Saturday, Mar 02, 2024, in Hemphill County, Texas after high winds caused a flare up to reignite the record breaking fire. (Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)
![Smokehouse Creek Fire, Texas]()
Image 3 of 26A grass fire reignited on Sunday, Mar 03, 2024 endangering the town of Sanford, Texas that had to be evacuated until further notice. (Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)
![Firefighters actively suppress a new fire start on March 3, 2024, west of Sanford, Texas]()
Image 4 of 26Firefighters actively suppress a new fire start on March 3, 2024, west of Sanford, Texas (M. Mahurin/Texas A&M Forest Service/Facebook)
![A firefighter extinguishes hotspots following the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Miami, Texas, US, on Saturday, March 2, 2024. Texas emergency crews are battling the worst wildfire in state history amid forecasts for several more days of dry, windy weather that will make their task more difficult. Photographer: Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images]()
Image 5 of 26A firefighter extinguishes hotspots following the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Miami, Texas, US, on Saturday, March 2, 2024. Texas emergency crews are battling the worst wildfire in state history amid forecasts for several more days of dry, windy weather that will make their task more difficult. Photographer: Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images ( )
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Image 6 of 26Charred ranch land following the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Miami, Texas, US, on Sunday, March 3, 2024. The Smokehouse Creek fire in Texas is the largest in the state's history and has consumed more than 1 million acres (405,000 hectares), according to Texas A&M Forest Service with dry gusts up to 50 miles per hour sweeping across Texas and the Plains through Sunday. Photographer: Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images ( )
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Image 7 of 26SANFORD, TEXAS - MARCH 03: Firefighters battle flames from the Smokehouse Creek fire on March 03, 2024 near Sanford, Texas. The fire has burned more than a million acres in the Texas Panhandle, killing at least two people and destroying more than 500 structures. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) ( )
![This image shows the Roughneck Fire near Sanford, Texas, on Sunday, March 3, 2024.]()
Image 8 of 26This image shows the Roughneck Fire near Sanford, Texas, on Sunday, March 3, 2024. (IFMAS / City of New Braunfels FD via @AllHazardsTFS/X)
![STINNETT, TEXAS - MARCH 02: Charred remains of automobiles sit behind a home that was destroyed by the Smokehouse Creek fire when it burned its way through town last Tuesday on March 02, 2024 in Stinnett, Texas. The fire has burned more than a million acres in the Texas Panhandle, killing at least two people and destroying more than 500 structures. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)]()
Image 9 of 26STINNETT, TEXAS - MARCH 02: Charred remains of automobiles sit behind a home that was destroyed by the Smokehouse Creek fire when it burned its way through town last Tuesday on March 02, 2024 in Stinnett, Texas. The fire has burned more than a million acres in the Texas Panhandle, killing at least two people and destroying more than 500 structures. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) ( )
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Image 10 of 26STINNETT, TEXAS - MARCH 03: Firefighters prep their truck outside the firehouse on March 03, 2024 in Stinnett, Texas. The Smokehouse Creek fire has burned more than a million acres in the Texas Panhandle, killing at least two people and destroying more than 500 structures. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) ( )
![At least 2 dead after the largest wildfire in Texas]()
Image 11 of 26STINNETT, TEXAS - MARCH 1: A view of burnt area after a wildfire in Stinnett, Texas on March 1, 2024. At least 2 dead as largest wildfire in state history tears through Texas Panhandle. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
![At least 2 dead after the largest wildfire in Texas]()
Image 12 of 26STINNETT, TEXAS - MARCH 1: A view of burnt area after a wildfire in Stinnett, Texas on March 1, 2024. At least 2 dead as largest wildfire in state history tears through Texas Panhandle. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
![At least 2 dead after the largest wildfire in Texas]()
Image 13 of 26STINNETT, TEXAS - MARCH 1: A view of burnt vehicles after a wildfire in Stinnett, Texas on March 1, 2024. At least 2 dead as largest wildfire in state history tears through Texas Panhandle. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
![At least 2 dead after the largest wildfire in Texas]()
Image 14 of 26STINNETT, TEXAS - MARCH 1: A view of burnt area after a wildfire in Stinnett, Texas on March 1, 2024. At least 2 dead as largest wildfire in state history tears through Texas Panhandle. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
![At least 2 dead after the largest wildfire in Texas]()
Image 15 of 26STINNETT, TEXAS - MARCH 1: An aerial view of burnt area after a wildfire in Stinnett, Texas on March 1, 2024. At least 2 dead as largest wildfire in state history tears through Texas Panhandle. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
![At least 2 dead after the largest wildfire in Texas]()
Image 16 of 26STINNETT, TEXAS - MARCH 1: A view of burnt vehicles after a wildfire in Stinnett, Texas on March 1, 2024. At least 2 dead as largest wildfire in state history tears through Texas Panhandle. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
![At least 2 dead after the largest wildfire in Texas]()
Image 17 of 26STINNETT, TEXAS - MARCH 1: An aerial view of burnt area after a wildfire in Stinnett, Texas on March 1, 2024. At least 2 dead as largest wildfire in state history tears through Texas Panhandle. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
![At least 2 dead after the largest wildfire in Texas]()
Image 18 of 26STINNETT, TEXAS - MARCH 1: A view of burnt vehicles after a wildfire in Stinnett, Texas on March 1, 2024. At least 2 dead as largest wildfire in state history tears through Texas Panhandle. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
![At least 2 dead after the largest wildfire in Texas]()
Image 19 of 26STINNETT, TEXAS - MARCH 1: A view of burnt area after a wildfire in Stinnett, Texas on March 1, 2024. At least 2 dead as largest wildfire in state history tears through Texas Panhandle. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
![At least 2 dead after the largest wildfire in Texas]()
Image 20 of 26STINNETT, TEXAS - MARCH 1: A view of burnt area after a wildfire in Stinnett, Texas on March 1, 2024. At least 2 dead as largest wildfire in state history tears through Texas Panhandle. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
![At least 2 dead after the largest wildfire in Texas]()
Image 21 of 26STINNETT, TEXAS - MARCH 1: A view of burnt area after a wildfire in Stinnett, Texas on March 1, 2024. At least 2 dead as largest wildfire in state history tears through Texas Panhandle. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
![At least 2 dead after the largest wildfire in Texas]()
Image 22 of 26STINNETT, TEXAS - MARCH 1: An aerial view of burnt area after a wildfire in Stinnett, Texas on March 1, 2024. At least 2 dead as largest wildfire in state history tears through Texas Panhandle. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
![At least 2 dead after the largest wildfire in Texas]()
Image 23 of 26STINNETT, TEXAS - MARCH 1: A view of burnt vehicles after a wildfire in Stinnett, Texas on March 1, 2024. At least 2 dead as largest wildfire in state history tears through Texas Panhandle. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu)
![Smokehouse Creek Fire, Texas]()
Image 24 of 26A road closed sign blocks a burned out gravel road damaged by the Smokehouse Creek Fire Saturday, Mar 02, 2024, in Roberts County, Texas. (Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)
![Smokehouse Creek Fire, Texas]()
Image 25 of 26Flames can been seen engulfing a field as high winds reignited parts of the Smokehouse Creek fire outside of Miami, Texas on Saturday, Mar 02, 2024. (Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)
![Smokehouse Creek Fire, Texas]()
Image 26 of 26A grass fire reignited on Sunday, Mar 03, 2024 endangering the town of Sanford, Texas that had to be evacuated until further notice. (Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications) (Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)
Rain could then break out behind that system as it strengthens.
The FOX Forecast Center said the precipitation that could fall would be a welcome relief for those trying to extinguish the fires.
Other fires burn in Texas Panhandle
(FOX Weather)
Several other fires continue to burn across the Texas Panhandle.
As of Thursday, the Grape Vine Creek Fire is still at 96% containment and has burned 34,882 acres.
The Windy Deuce Fire, which has burned 144,206 acres, is 89% contained.
There was another fire called the 687 Reamer Fire, which was absorbed by the Smokehouse Creek Fire last week.