The Smokehouse Creek fire in Texas grew overnight Wednesday into Thursday to become the largest in the state’s history, and the second-largest in America ever.
Lampposts have been melted, power lines have been split in half, and infrastructure across more than 1.1 million acres has been burned since Monday in the “largest and most destructive” wildfire in Texan history, CBS News reported. The fire was barely 3% contained at the time of writing. It is one of at least five major wildfires happening in Texas right now, including the 687 Reamer Fire which combined with the Smokehouse Creek Fire, according to the Forest Service, the outlet reported.
At least one person was believed to have died as a result of the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Hutchinson County, officials told CBS. The victim’s grandson reportedly said her name was Joyce Blankenship, 83.
A major U.S. nuclear weapons facility was forced to shutdown Tuesday night as personnel were evacuated over risks of the wildfires, while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared an emergency across 60 counties in the Panhandle. Normal operations were resumed the following day after no issues were reported.
Images and videos shared on social media show the utter chaos and calamity of the burns, along with the flow of smoke across the country.
Wildfires spreading in Texas and Oklahoma have prompted evacuations and the closure of a plant that disassembles nuclear weapons. The largest current blaze in the Texas Panhandle is the Smokehouse Creek fire, which had spread to at least 500,000 acres. https://t.co/SdLqFA87nh pic.twitter.com/1ASfcXl2rg
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 28, 2024
The Smokehouse Creek fire is now up to half a million acres in 48 hours. That is roughly 780sqmi.
Greenville firefighters were responding to the Smokehouse Creek Fire on Tuesday. Watch as they drive into the danger to battle the flames.
Our thoughts go out to all those affected… pic.twitter.com/O4WrPy6Cze— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) February 28, 2024
The Smokehouse Creek fire and others merged into the second largest fire in Texas’s history over the course of the last two days.
The fires are highlighted in white, while clouds are dark grey or blue. pic.twitter.com/O8YvPvY1Qy
— CIRA (@CIRA_CSU) February 28, 2024
Over 30,000 acres are also aflame in Oklahoma, CBS reported. Some 13 homes have already been destroyed in the state, Oklahoma Forestry Services reportedly stated. Fluctuating weather is contributing to the situation, according to the outlet (RELATED: Scientists Reveal New Explanation For Why Latin America Is On Fire)
Temperatures are anticipated to be cooler in Texas on Thursday before warm, dry conditions return, bringing temperatures some 10 to 20 degree above normal for March, the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast. It is hoped that rainy conditions will return as early as Sunday, the NWS added.