Wildfires Rage Across The Texas Panhandle, Evacuations Orders Issued
This week has seen warmer temps in the Texas panhandle. While the warmer weather has been nice, we currently see dangerous conditions that make it incredibly easy for fires to start and spread. Currently, multiple wildfires are raging in the Texas panhandle.
February 2024 Wildfires Burning In The Texas Panhandle
At the moment of writing, there are currently several wildfires burning in the Texas panhandle. There are multiple road closures in Hutchinson County, which is currently fighting multiple wildfires. Road closures include "...136 to Amarillo, 687, and 136 from Stinnett to Amarillo" according to an update given by the City of Borger/Hutchinson County OEM on social media.
The Texas A&M Forest Service incident viewer shows four areas in the panhandle where wildfires are burning. To say that the situation is terrifying is an extreme understatement.
Say A Prayer For Hutchinson County
Photos coming in from Hutchinson County paint a dire picture. These pics were taken from Borger, looking in the direction of Fritch and Stinnett. In this photo looking toward Fritch, you can see the smoke filling the sky.
At 1 PM a mandatory evacuation was issued for the area northwest of Fritch. The City of Fritch's Facebook page put out an announcement early in the 3 PM hour that everything south of 136 needed to evacuate as the fire had jumped the highway and was heading in the direction of Borger.
In this photo looking in the direction of Stinnett, you can see how the horizon line seems to be nothing but smoke. The winds continue to gust, and crews continue to do their best to fight the blazes.
Keep those affected by the fires in your prayers. As more information becomes available, we'll be sure to pass it along.
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Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF