The largest wildfire in Texas history could spread quickly this weekend

(CNN) — Deadly wildfires that have already burned more than 1,000 acres in Texas and Oklahoma are expected to spread quickly as fierce winds and dry air fan flames Friday and throughout the weekend.

The Smokehouse Creek Fire is the largest fire on record in Texas after destroying 435,037 hectares in the state and is only 3% contained. More than 12,700 hectares had burned in Oklahoma as of Wednesday afternoon, according to that state’s Forest Service. In total, the fires in the lower 48 states are the largest since reliable record keeping began in the 1980s.

It is one of four wildfires ravaging the Texas Panhandle, reducing neighborhoods to rubble, displacing families and scorching the rolling prairie and ranches that are crucial to the state’s agricultural industry. In total, the fire has burned an area about the same as the state of Delaware.

Two people have died so far as a result of the fire, according to officials in hard-hit Hutchinson and Hemphill counties.

Following a hint of rain on Thursday, fire danger in the region is expected to rise to critical levels from Friday and worsen over the weekend, as strong winds and low humidity combine with fragile vegetation to feed the flames.

The increased risk comes as Texans prepare to celebrate the state’s Independence Day, prompting authorities to urgently warn against extreme caution when using fireworks.

On February 27, 2024, a forest fire broke out behind a house outside of Shattuck, Oklahoma. (Credit: Nick Oxford/Reuters)

The most recent development

– The Wendy Duce Fire has burned 57,466 hectares and was 55% contained as of Thursday afternoon, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

– The Grapevine Creek Fire has burned 12,140 hectares and is 60% contained.

– The Magenta Fire has burned 1,335 hectares and is 85% contained.

-Texas Governor Greg Abbott will head to the Panhandle on Friday and is scheduled to hold a press conference in the afternoon.

Texas Forest Service spokesman Juan Rodriguez said Thursday night that rough terrain and topography have made it difficult for firefighters to reach parts of the Smokehouse Creek Fire. The agency has around 200 people fighting the fire, he added.

– Firefighters in the Oklahoma Panhandle made some progress Thursday. The fire was 40% contained in the state as of Thursday afternoon, and emergency crews plan to cordon off a particularly at-risk area in Ellis County on Friday to limit the spread, said Keith Merckx, a spokesman for the Fire Service.

– The National Weather Service issued a fire weather warning over the weekend extending from the Texas Panhandle to the Oklahoma Panhandle and surrounding states. The maximum temperature in the area will be around 21 degrees Celsius on Friday and 27 degrees on Saturday and Sunday. Wind gusts could reach 65 km/h on Sunday, according to the service’s office in Amarillo, Texas.

– According to Hemphill County Agricultural Extension Agent Andy Holloway, 162,000 hectares of land have burned in Hemphill County, destroying dozens of homes and killing thousands of livestock.

– Fritch, Texas, is under an advisory requiring water to be boiled before consumption, but that is “difficult to do because many residents are without electricity and/or gas,” Hutchinson County announced. Officials said bottles of water were being handed out in some churches and other places.

– Search and rescue teams have begun clearing neighborhoods in Hutchinson County. Officials encouraged anyone who believes a loved one is missing to contact the tip line.

– Amarillo National Bank announced it is opening a Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund for wildfire victims, drawing from its own $1 million donation.

An extensive ranch is almost completely burnt

Wildfires have destroyed large swaths of farmland and farms throughout the Texas Panhandle, leaving thousands of dead livestock and burned equipment.

The 120-year-old Turkey Track Ranch estimates that 80% of its 32,375-hectare property has burned. The ranch boasts a sweeping panorama of meadows, valleys and pastures.

“We believe the damage to livestock, crops and wildlife, as well as fences and other infrastructure on our property and other farms and homes in the region, is unprecedented in our history,” the ranch family group said in a statement. Turkey Track.

However, the group remains optimistic for the future of the land. “After a fire nature repairs itself and will regrow all the natural grass, vegetation and tree cover of our beloved ranch oasis.”

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

“These fires not only threaten life and property, but will also have a significant impact on our agricultural industry. More than 85% of the state’s livestock population is located on ranches in the Panhandle. There are millions of cattle, and some have more cattle than people in our towns. is,” Miller said in a news release.

The Texas Farm Bureau announced it has created the Texas Panhandle Wildfire Relief Fund to help farmers and ranchers affected by the fires.

Truck driver dies while trying to escape from fire

Truck driver Cindy Owens was working Tuesday about 50 miles north of Pampa, Texas, when she was caught in the Smokehouse Creek Fire, her sister-in-law told CNN.

“She basically couldn’t breathe and she emptied the truck and tried to run to safety and she didn’t make it,” said Jennifer Mitchell, who is married to Owen’s brother. “They found burns on about 90% of her body.”

Cindy Owen in an undated photo. (Family Photography)

Mitchell said Owen, 44, was on a video chat when the situation unfolded, so family members rushed to find someone to help him.

Owen died as a result of the fire in Hemphill County, said Sergeant Chris Ray of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Mitchell said Cindy was devoted to her family and would “do anything for anyone,” including stopping by a truck on cold days to give people coats.

“She was everybody’s friend and everybody knew her. Nothing bad to say about her. She was the nicest person in the world,” Mitchell said.

Another person died as a result of a fire in Hutchinson County, local officials said.

Although authorities have not publicly identified the victim, the family of 83-year-old Joyce Blankenship told CNN that she died at her home in Stinnett.

“The house was gone,” Nathan Blankenship said. “There was no way he could get out.”

Blankenship’s great-grandson, Lee Quesada, said she was well-known and well-liked in the small community. Her husband, Jimmy, died in 2015.

“She worked as a substitute teacher in the area before becoming a stay-at-home mom while Jimmy worked at the local Phillips refinery,” Quesada said. “She will be missed by everyone.”

CNN’s David Williams, Andy Rose, Steve Almasi, Holly Yan and Robert Shackelford contributed to this report.