(Mcallen) High winds spread flames and forced the evacuation of a town as planes dropped fire retardants over North Texas in an attempt to stop the largest wildfire in history. ‘State.
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 started the fires, but strong winds, dry grass and unusually warm temperatures fueled the flames.
A cluster of fires has incinerated nearly 5,000 square kilometers in rural areas around Amarillo. The largest fire, Smokehouse Creek, which covers nearly 4,400 square kilometers, has spread into neighboring Oklahoma.
PHOTO LEAH MILLIS, REUTERS
A firefighter at work near Canadian, March 2
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced Sunday that the federal government has dedicated funds, equipment and personnel to fight the fires, but he warned that more severe weather could occur.
“More than a million hectares have burned. It’s winter and this is the largest fire in Texas history, Mayorkas said in an interview on CNN. As a country and as a world, we must be prepared to deal with the increasing effects of extreme weather events caused by climate change. This is a remarkable phenomenon, which will manifest itself in the days to come, and we must prepare for it now. »
The National Weather Service warned Sunday of a high fire risk through Monday in the region due to winds of about 30 kilometers per hour.
High winds spread the flames, prompting an evacuation order in Sanford, a Texas town of just over 100 residents, according to a message posted by the National Weather Service’s Amarillo office on X.
As firefighters battle these unprecedented blazes, humanitarian organizations are turning to victims who have lost their homes and livelihoods. Residents began clearing affected properties on Saturday, and by Sunday the scale of losses began to mount.