Texas Panhandle Wildfires
Multiple massive wildfires ignited across Texas and Oklahoma on February 26, 2024, as high winds and dry conditions plagued the region. The blazes continued and grew rapidly over the following 36 hours as the high fire danger environment persisted. The fires were fueled even more by a cold front that charged south across the Central Plains, rapidly pushing the fire south.Â
The biggest wildfire from this event was the Smokehouse Creek Fire in the Texas Panhandle. The fire burned over one million acres (400,000 hectares) becoming the largest wildfire in Texas state history. The fire is responsible for burning a hundred miles of power lines, thousands of cattle, and at least 30 homes. The Smokehouse Creek Fire also consumed over 30,000 acres (12,000 hectares) of grasslands in Oklahoma. In total, the Smokehouse Creek Fire was responsible for two fatalities and burning over 100 homes.
During the same time period, another large blaze, the Windy Deuce Fire, burned over 144,000 acres (58,300 hectares) in the Texas Panhandle.
More information about the Smokehouse Creek Fire can be found on Inciweb and a detailed meteorological overview can be found on the Satellite Liason Blog.
Satellite imagery of this event:
Hover over the boxes to play. Click the images to view enlarged
