Panhandle on fire: Wildfires scorch more than 1 million acres, destroy homes, prompt evacuations

Note: This file is no longer being updated. For the latest updates Thursday on the Texas wildfires, go to our Thursday live updates.

Five wildfires continued raging in the Texas Panhandle Wednesday, scorching well over 1 million acres, destroying homes and structures and forcing evacuations in numerous communities.

As of late Wednesday, the largest among them, Smokehouse Creek in Stinnett, had burned more than 850,000 acres, equivalent to about 1,300 square miles, making it the second-largest wildfire in state history. And it was only considered to be 3 percent contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

The Smokehouse Creek Fire is second only behind the 2006 Amarillo East Complex fires, which claimed 12 lives and burned more than 907,245 acres, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. The fire well surpassed the third biggest fire, the 1988 fire named the Big Country Fire that scorched 366,000 acres.

The others include the Windy Deuce Fire in Moore County, Grape Vine Creek fire in Gray County, Magenta Fire in Oldham County and 687 Reamer Fire, also in Hutchinson County, just miles away from the Smokehouse Creek Fire.

In a Facebook livestream on Wednesday, Hutchinson County Emergency Management spokesperson Deidra Thomas said the Windy Deuce wildfire has destroyed several homes and the area remains unsafe. It had consumed 142,000 acres and was 30 percent contained as of Wednesday evening.

"I don't think a lot of folks that live in the Fritch area probably are going to be prepared for what they're going to see as they pull into town," she said. "Some homes were completely lost..."

Gov. Abbott declares state of disaster

In response to this disaster, numerous counties and municipalities have enforced mandatory evacuations for tens of thousands of residents, in addition to school closures. The emergency also prompted Gov. Greg Abbott to declare a state of disaster in 60 counties on Tuesday afternoon before deploying additional resources Wednesday.

“As dangerous wildfires continue to impact the Texas Panhandle, I directed (Texas Division of Emergency Management) to immediately deploy additional wildfire response resources to ensure the safety of Texans and impacted communities," Abbott said in a statement. "Thank you to our federal partners at FEMA for quickly approving Texas' request for grant assistance as we continue to fight these dangerous wildfires.

"I encourage Texans in affected areas to heed the guidance of local officials and first responders and to take all necessary precautions to keep your family and loved ones safe. We continue to work alongside TDEM, local officials, and emergency response personnel to provide all available resources to protect our fellow Texans," he added.

Pantex Plant operations impacted

Operations at the Pantex Plant northeast of Amarillo were back to normal Wednesday after officials had suspended operations at the nuclear weapons plant Tuesday evening due to approaching wildfires.

Erin O'Connor, the lead public information officer for Texas A&M Forest Service, told USA TODAY that drier conditions have led to expanded dry areas that have contributed to the growth of the fire, which is primarily among fields of tall grass.

Here are the locations, size and containment of the fires:

• Smokehouse Creek Fire — Hutchinson County, 850,000 acres, 3% containment

• 687 Reamer Fire — Hutchinson Country, 2,000 acres, 10% containment

• Windy Deuce Fire — Moore County, 142,000 acres, 30% containment

• Grape Vine Creek Fire — Gray County, 30,000 acres, 60% containment

• Magenta Fire — Oldham County, 2,500 acres, 40% containment

The Texas A&M Forest Service reports that wildfire activity has been fueled by dry conditions, above-normal temperatures, and high wind speeds. In areas where there is an abundance of dormant grass, the risk of wildfires igniting is higher with these conditions.

Wildfire smoke pushes through Texas, poses risks

Smoke from the wildfires was spreading further into the state after a cold front pushed through region late Tuesday. The smell became potent in the Lubbock area late Tuesday evening as the winds shifted from the north due to the front.

South Plains inundated with smoke from Panhandle fires; officials say don't call 911

As the front moved through the region, reports of smoke proliferated in area communities - like Plainview and Hockley County - and led to officials in some towns asking citizens not to call 911 simply for a smoke smell.

By Wednesday morning, some schools in the Lubbock area had announced they were shifting outdoor activities like recess and PE inside out of caution.

Canadian ISD cancels school for week

In Canadian, which was impacted by the Smokehouse Creek Fire, Canadian ISD on Wednesday confirmed it will resume normal school operations on Monday with classes and activities, according to a statement from the district.

"We realize many of our families are in the midst of dealing with the devastation of home and other property loss – we completely understand if those kids are not able to report to school until the critical things in their lives are settled," said Superintendent Lynn Pulliam in a statement. "For the next two days (Thursday and Friday), we will open our campuses for any families who need to bring their kids in while parents deal with fire-related or any other issues.  We will not have normal classes, but we will supervise, entertain, feed, and generally care for our children.  Many of our staff members are returning from evacuation but I’m confident we’ll have enough people on hand to supervise the students who need it.  Currently, power is out at CES.  If electricity is not restored by this evening, we will get the word out to drop those kids off at Baker Elementary instead of CES."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Panhandle fires scorch more than 1 million acres