High winds fanned flames and prompted the evacuation of a city while airplanes dropped fire retardant in an effort to contain the largest wildfire in state history on the North Texas Panhandle.
As of Sunday afternoon, the Smokehouse Creek fire was 15% contained and two other fires were at least 60% contained. Authorities have not said what caused the fire, but high winds, dry grass and unseasonably warm temperatures fueled the fire.
A cluster of fires has burned more than 1,900 square miles (4,921 square kilometers) in rural areas surrounding Amarillo. The largest volcano, Smokehouse Creek, spread over nearly 1,700 square miles (4,400 square kilometers) in neighboring Oklahoma.
US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Meyerkas said on Sunday that the federal government had dedicated funds, equipment and personnel to help fight the fires, but warned that more severe weather could be coming.
“More than a million acres have been burnt. And we’re in the winter, and this is the biggest fire in Texas history,” Meyerkas said during a CNN interview. One has to be prepared for the growing effects. This is a remarkable trend, and it will manifest itself in the coming days, and we have to prepare for it now.
The National Weather Service warned of an elevated fire danger late Sunday night through Monday due to winds of 15-20 mph (24-32 km/h) in the area.
High winds fanned the flames, according to a post from the Amarillo office of the National Weather Service on X. More than 100 residents in Sanford, Texas, were ordered to evacuate, earlier on Twitter.
As firefighters battled unprecedented wildfires, humanitarian organizations sympathized with victims who had lost their homes and livelihoods. Residents began cleaning up affected properties on Saturday and the extent of the damage began to increase by Sunday.
Donations from $25 to $500 are critical to the Hutchinson County United Way Wildfire Relief Fund, which is dispersing proceeds to displaced families.
“We already know that there is a large group of people who are uninsured who have lost their homes. So without financial support, it’s going to be very difficult for them to start back up,” said Julie Winters, executive director of Hutchinson County United Way.
The organization has heard estimates of more than 150 homes affected in the county, noting that the fire extends to at least five other counties, Winters said.
A steady rain of donated clothes, water and hot food quickly overwhelmed a community in the affected area. Borger, Texas, urged people in a social media post to channel donation efforts toward food and water sanitation supplies that include shovels, rakes, gloves and trash bags.
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Associated Press writers Thomas Strong in Washington and Trisha Ahmed in Minneapolis contributed to this report.