In recent years, wildfires have become an increasingly common occurrence in Texas, with the latest outbreak being the second-largest on record. The fast-spreading flames have ravaged thousands of acres of land, destroying homes and displacing families in their wake.
The combination of dry conditions, high winds, and soaring temperatures has created the perfect storm for these wildfires to spread rapidly and uncontrollably. Firefighters have been working tirelessly around the clock to contain the blaze, but their efforts have been hampered by the unpredictable nature of the fire.
The second-largest wildfire on record in Texas raged across 850,000 acres on Wednesday, as firefighters from around the state tried to contain it. The blaze has consumed houses, burned vast ranch lands, killed livestock and forced evacuations across the sparsely populated Texas Panhandle.
The blaze, known as the Smokehouse Creek fire, ignited on Monday and by Wednesday had spread across vast swaths of ranch lands, fueled by strong winds and dry conditions. It still had not been contained and was growing, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
"Several large wildfires ignited under warm, dry and windy conditions across the Texas Panhandle," the Texas A&M Forest Service said on social media Tuesday. "Today, strong winds will likely impact these wildfires and the potential for new ignitions remains."
Fires continued to impact mainly the central and eastern portions of the Texas Panhandle on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
The woman who died was identified by family members as Joyce Blankenship, a former substitute teacher. Her grandson, Lee Quesada, said he had posted in a community forum asking if anyone could try and locate her. Quesada said deputies told his uncle on Wednesday that they had found Blankenship’s remains in her burned home.
Quesada said she’d surprise him at times with funny little stories “about her more ornery days.”
The Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association launched a fundraising campaign to aid victims of the wildfires.
"A fire is one of the most tragic events that can impact ranches, and a natural disaster such as the widespread wildfires in Texas and Oklahoma can result in financial hardships and deep impacts to our ranching communities," said TSCRA President Arthur Uhl.
Both Stacy and Tim — whose famous “knuckleball” made him one of the most dominant Major League pitchers of the early 2000s — were diagnosed with different forms of cancer, according to MLB pitcher Curt Schilling, who revealed the couple’s diagnoses against their wishes last September.
Read more
Richard Lewis Dies at 76 McCanna Anthony, Gary Sinise's son dies at 33Sarah H
Also on site :
- Greeley city IT employee charged with possessing child sexual abuse material
- Deshae Frost and Funny Mike "Streamer Prom" drama explained
- Moment huge flames leap from cargo ship as ‘dark fleet’ tanker burns at sea after being ‘hit by another boat’