Wildfires continue to burn in the Texas area as work is underway to contain the flames.
Firefighters are warning Texans to be careful when going out this weekend. With warmer weather expected, fire officials warn the temperatures could cause more fires to break out in the area.
“Be careful with all outdoor activities that may cause a spark this weekend!” the Texas A&M Forest Service wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The fire environment will trend to be warmer, drier and windier across the Texas High Plains and northern Rolling Plains through Sunday before a cold front passes through Monday.”
A Red Flag Warning has been issued for the entire Texas Panhandle from 11 a.m. CDT until midnight Sunday. The National Weather Service stated that the warning was activated due to strong winds and relatively low humidity conditions.
These warnings are implemented when temperatures and weather conditions increase the risk of fire.
Texas wildfires live updates:At least 400 buildings have been destroyed so far
Wildfires in Texas are responsible for deaths and destruction
Texas officials confirmed that two people died due to fires this week.
On Tuesday afternoon, Cindy Owen was driving in Hemphill County when she encountered fire or smoke, said Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Chris Ray. Owen got out of her truck and was overcome by flames.
A good Samaritan found Owen and called for help. First responders transported her to a burn unit in Oklahoma. Ray said Owen died Thursday morning.
Family members identified another victim, an 83-year-old woman, as Joyce Blankenship, a former substitute teacher. Her grandson, Lee Quesada, said deputies told his uncle Wednesday that they found Blankenship's remains in her burned home.
The Associated Press reported that in addition to the human losses in the forest fires, the deaths of herds of livestock were reported. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller estimated the number of livestock deaths likely reached the thousands.
Wildfires in Texas have been burning for 5 days
A forest fire broke out in the Beggar area on Monday, February 26. The fire continued to spread across the state as dry, warm and windy weather conditions created obstacles for rescue teams to contain the fire.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire, located about 60 miles northeast of Amarillo, is the largest reported fire in state history and has burned more than 1 million acres of land.
Texas wildfire map
Where are the wildfires located in Texas?
According to the latest update from the Texas A&M Forest Service, there are five active wildfires burning in the Texas Panhandle.
- 687 lathe – Hutchinson County, 2,000 acres, 10% contained
- Grape Creek – Gray County, 30,000 acres, 60% included
- purple – Oldham County, 3,297 acres, 85% included
- Smokehouse Creek – Hutchinson County, 1,078,086 acres, 60% contained
- Stormy devil – Moore County, 142 thousand acres, 60% contained
Contributing: Gaby Hoare, USA Today; News agency
