Wildfires in Texas continue to sweep across the panhandle: See map of devastation
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Wildfires in the Texas panhandle are showing little sign of slowing down. One of the fires, the Smokehouse Creek Fire, has grown to over a million acres and is now the largest in the state's history.
The disaster has prompted Gov. Greg Abbott to upgrade the Texas State Emergency Operations Center readiness level to allow more resources to be deployed to the impacted areas.
The Texas A&M Forest Service said Wednesday the "fire environment will relax beginning Wednesday through Friday" but that the potential for wildfire activity will increase for the Plains on Saturday and more so on Sunday "when strong winds are possible across West Texas."
As of 12:30 p.m. local time Wednesday, the forest service estimated there were 64 counties with burn bans in place, six active wildfires and two contained wildfires.
Live updates: Texas Smokehouse Creek Fire grows to largest in state's history
Where are the Texas wildfires?
According to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, a USA TODAY network site in Lubbock, Texas, there are currently five active fires in the Texas Panhandle region.
Smokehouse Creek — Hutchinson County, 850,000 acres, 3% contained
Windy Deuce Fire — Moore County, 142,000 acres, 30% containment
Grape Vine Creek Fire — Gray County, 30,000 acres, 60% containment
Magenta — Oldham County, 2,500 acres, 40% containment
687 Reamer — Hutchinson County, 2,000 acres, 10% containment
Map of Texas wildfires
Texas air quality map
As of 6 a.m. CST, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is reporting the air quality in Amarillo and Lubbock to be good.
Contributing: Mateo Rosiles, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas wildfires map: See where wildfires are consuming massive acres