Moore County officials urge evacuations as wildfires continue to grow

Brianna Maestas, Amarillo Globe-News
Updated ·4 min read

Lake Meredith National Recreation Area and Moore County are evacuating area residents Tuesday as wildfires continue to spread throughout the region.

According to Eric Smith, superintendent at Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, they evacuated two areas of the park Monday evening due to the fire, including the Plum Creek area on the northwest side of the Canadian River, located south of the lake, and the Blue West, a launch ramp area located on the northwest side of the lake.

The fire initially began on the edge of Potter County and has burned more than 6,000 acres leading to the edge of Moore County, currently being fought by firefighters to prevent entry into Hutchinson County. According to the Texas A&M Forest Service (TAMFS), as of 7 p.m. Tuesday, the fire was an estimated 20,000 acres and 20 percent contained.

Fire burns along Lake Meredith in the Blue West area, as seen from across the lake about three miles away Tuesday afternoon. The Windy Deuce wildfire, one of several actively burning in the Texas Panhandle on Tuesday, was an estimated 8,000 acres and 20 percent contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service, prompting more and more evacuations as the day progressed and leading to several road closures in the area.

"Today we have closed the Mullinaw and McBrides areas of the park, and well as the Alibates Visitor Center and along with all of the Alibates areas of the park," Smith said.

According to Smith, the fire has remained ablaze due to the wind, soon predicted to change direction from an incoming cold front, creating even more concern for local officials.

More: Four wildfires burn thousands of acres in Texas panhandle. Track wildfires in real-time

"The wind is greatly impacting this fire. All of the lines that we had constructed last night were holding, and some of those lines failed midday today as the winds picked up and the fire behavior became extreme," Smith said.

Smith said that around 1:30 p.m. today, the fire did cross the Canadian River, which resulted in the evacuation of Moore County, with emphasis on the City of Fritch, for residents on the south and west end of town, as well as the Harbor Bay area of the Lake Meredith National Recreation Area.

Individuals being evacuated were asked to go to the designated evacuation points, including Celebration Family Church located on the east end of the city of Fritch.

"Our biggest concern is the firefighters', first responders' and all of our citizens' safety; that is what we are most concerned for, the safety of human life. We are working on everything we can do to keep everyone safe, so we ask everyone who needs to evacuate to do so, so firefighters can get in there and do what they need to do," Smith said.

Several roads were closed and multiple areas were being evacuated in the Texas Panhandle Tuesday, including neighborhoods in Fritch, Miami, and Scotts Acres near Stinnett, as well as Canadian, Glazier and Higgins. According to multiple reports, the city of Canadian was then recommended to shelter in place, with most of the roads shut down, including US 60/ 83. "Pray for Canadian, Texas, and those who couldn't leave town in time. All exits out of town are blocked by fire," the Texas Storm Chasers said in one Facebook post. As of 7 p.m., TAMFS estimated the Smokehouse Creek Fire at 250,000 acres.

Fritch evacuees were asked to evacuate to the Borger Youth Center as of 3:45 p.m., and residents were advised to avoid State Hwy. 136, as it was "closed and full of active fire," with visibility very poor, according to the City of Borger / Hutchinson County OEM via social media. Highway and rural travel was being strongly discouraged.

Canadian, White Deer, Fort Elliott, Miami, Sanford-Fritch, Grandview-Hopkins, Pampa, Wheeler, Lefors, PSP and Darrouzett were among school districts announcing they were canceling schools for Wednesday, and that they will send out updates as more information is available. "We will reassess tomorrow and let everyone know what the plans are for Thursday and Friday. I hope everyone is safe," Dr. Lynn Pulliam, superintendent of Canadian ISD, said in the closure announcement.

The Amarillo Police Department (APD) sent out a community advisory Tuesday evening, warning citizens against calling 911 unless they are needing to report a fire or an emergency. "We know the entire city is covered in smoke," APD said, noting the smoke is from the fire from the north, and no fires were active in Amarillo at this time. Follow the Amarillo Police, the Amarillo Fire Department (AFD), the Amarillo Area Office of Emergency Management on social media for the latest updates.

AFD said "Due to the wind shift we are getting lots of calls. If you see a fire please report it, but if you just smell or see smoke do not call at this time. Our dispatchers are extremely busy. ... If you have a health condition, please stay inside." AFD also noted that those interested in making donations should not attempt to take them to the scene and should wait for further instructions; they are working on coordinating all the donations for tomorrow.

TAMFS also reported a new fire in Oldham County, with acreage not yet known.

This is a developing story; look for more updates online as more information becomes available.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Wildfires threaten area; Moore County residents urged to evacuate