Neighbors aid with panhandle fires

When the largest wildfire in the state’s history blazed through the Texas Panhandle, all hands were on deck, including firefighters from Stephenville FD.

The fire started Monday, Feb. 26 and is known as the Smokehouse Creek fire, which has consumed nearly 1.2 million acres. For perspective, the fire is so large it would cover the entire city of Los Angeles. It is 37 percent contained as of presstime.

In the Texas Panhandle, at least five active wildfires occurred in the past week, killing two adults, incinerating crops, killing thousands of livestock and destroying hundreds of structures along its path. In Sanford, the Roughneck Fire forced evacuations of the town on Sunday, March 3.

On Tuesday, Feb. 27, the Stephenville Fire Department in cooperation with the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) has had two members deployed on two different Strike Teams as well as the Type 6 Wildland Engine.

These members will remain deployed for 14 days then swap out with fresh crew members from SFD to continue containment efforts in the Panhandle region of Texas.

“This is a program that is reimbursed by the State and allows our members to gain experience on large incidents around the state while helping relieve the burden on those local resources,” SFD Division Chief of Operations Chris Elston said.

With severe fire weather throughout the week, the wind made the fire grow extremely quickly – jumping from 100,000 acres to 250,000 acres on Tuesday, Feb. 27 in only four hours.

“The experienced and forecasted fire weather combined with the terrain and complex size of the incident are all factors that make it difficult to contain,” Elston said.

The incident has been established as a “Type 1” incident which allows the use of additional state and federal resources.

“The Southern Area Incident Management Blue Team is in command of the incident and handles the day-to-day planning, operations, logistics, and resource assignments. I do not know the number of personnel on the fire, however, last Wednesday TIFMAS requested at least 25 Strike Teams to respond. Those teams are made up of 12-15 personnel, 5 engines, and 1 command/support unit. Combine that with all the management, heavy equipment, aviation, and support resources the amount of manpower and equipment on that incident is very large scale,” he said.

Towns in the Texas Panhandle, including Fritch, Canadian and Stinnett suffered extreme loss and in Fritch, the community of about 3,500 lost 250 homes. A wildfire just 10 years ago had devastated homes on the city’s north side. Many from the communities sought refuge in the nearby town of Borger, as donations quickly began to flood into the area.

Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 Texas counties on Feb. 27 in response to widespread wildfire activity throughout the state. Additional counties may be added if conditions warrant. Governor Abbott also directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to activate additional state emergency response resources to support local firefighters responding to multiple wildfires burning Texas.

“I issued a disaster declaration to ensure critical fire response resources are swiftly deployed to areas in the Texas Panhandle being impacted by devastating wildfires,” said Governor Abbott. “The State of Texas stands ready to provide support to our local partners and deploy all resources needed to protect our fellow Texans and their property. Hot and dry conditions caused by high temperatures and windy conditions are expected to continue in the region in the coming days. These conditions could increase the potential for these wildfires to grow larger and more dangerous. Texans are urged to limit activities that could create sparks and take precautions to keep their loved ones safe. I also want to thank the brave firefighters and first responders who are working tirelessly to protect their fellow Texans.”

According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, dry conditions and abovenormal temperatures resulted in areas of the state facing an increased risk of wildfire. Paired with increased wind speeds, these areas are supportive of wildfire activity. There is a possibility for wildfire activity to occur where an abundant amount of dormant grasses are present on the landscape in areas near and around them, including the Panhandle, South Plains, Texoma, and Permian Basin regions. Portions of East Texas also face increased wildfire risk amid active burns.

As fire officials look into the causes of the Panhandle wildfires, lawyers of landowners are zeroing in on a downed Xcel Energy Co. power line located outside Stinnett, according to an article from the Texas Tribune.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission Wednesday, Xcel Energy revealed it had received a letter from attorneys asking the company to preserve a fallen utility pole near where the Smokehouse Creek Fire may have started. The filing does not name the law firm but said it represented “ various property insurance interests.”

In the SEC filing, Xcel Energy said that “investigations into origin, cause, and damage of the wildland fires burning in or near the service territory of SPS, including the Smokehouse Creek Fire, are underway.” The company also said it is working with emergency responders to provide assistance to those impacted by the fires.

Homeowner Melanie McQuiddy filed a lawsuit on Friday in Hemphill County against Xcel Energy claiming that one of the company’s splintered power poles started a fire there when it fell.

Ways to help

Send direct donations to fire departments: Fritch VFD, P.O. Box 758, Fritch, TX 79036 Stinnett VFD, E. 8th Street, Stinnett, TX 79083 Canadian VFD, 5 W Main Street, Canadian, TX, 79014 Borger Fire Department, 200 N. Cedar, Borger, TX 79007 Memphis Fire Department, 721 Robertson St, Memphis, TX, 79245 Here ford Fire Department, P.O. Box 2277, Hereford, TX, 79045 Dumas Fire Department, 106 N. Bliss, Dumas, TX 79029

Donate to the Rancher Navy 

Area locations include Comanche Gas Solutions, Comanche, TX, 76442, 325- 455- 0048 Stephenville 14570 FM 914, Stephenville, TX, 75401, Grant Betz, 570573-5584. Livestock needs include: hay, cattle cubes (20% to 38% protein), calf milk replacer, horse feed, all stock (12% protein), layer feed for chickens, alfalfa pellets, calf starter, cat and dog food and pet supplies, fencing supplies, mineral tubs and empty mineral tubs, shovels and rakes, gloves, totes and construction trash bags.

Firefighter needs include Gatorade zero power packets or equivalent, leather gloves, liquid IV, DripDrop, Propel, Pedialyte (electrolyte powder packets), pickle hydrate shots, pickles or pickle juice, snacks: individual packets or chips, cookies, jerky, nuts, sunflower seeds, etc. (no chocolate or anything that melts), chapstick, travel size sunscreen and aloe, new socks, bandanas, hand towels or washrags, baby wipes, travel size baby powder and gold bond powder, flashlights, AA & AAA batteries, Advil and Tylenol, toilet paper and paper towels, cooling neck wraps, carabiner clips.

Hutchison County United Way: www. hutchison countyunitedway. org