where is the fire?
The Smokehouse Creek Fire has burned more than 1 million acres (1,600 square miles) across the Texas Panhandle and tens of thousands of acres in Oklahoma. The fire spread over an area larger than Rhode Island, making it the largest wildfire in Texas history and the second-largest wildfire in U.S. history, according to current fire records.
what happened Did it have an impact?
Two women were confirmed dead in Texas on Thursday, as were dozens of cows, including newborn calves. Destruction includes acres of farmland, homes and businesses. Dozens of small fires are also burning in the Panhandle area northeast of the city of Amarillo. Nuclear weapons facilities were closed and personnel evacuated.
How did it spread so quickly?
The Smokehouse Creek Fire was 15% contained as of Friday morning, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
The cause of the fire is unknown, but dry, grassy vegetation, strong winds, and unusually warm temperatures caused the fire to spread quickly and combine to create even larger fires, making it extremely difficult for firefighters to contain the blaze. It has become.
Is the climate crisis to blame?
It’s too early to tell, but the average high temperature in February in Amarillo is 54F (12C). Based on National Weather Service data from 1981 to 2010. Temperatures today will reach the mid-70s, which is above average but still well below the record high of 88 degrees. Warm temperatures, combined with unusually strong winds and dry conditions, may have caused the fire to spread. One inch (2.5 centimeters) of snow fell at the NWS office in Amarillo on Thursday, breaking the previous record of 0.7 inches set in 1960.
As the planet warms, extreme weather is becoming the new norm.
What will happen now?
Firefighting conditions improved on Thursday with light rain and snow, which continued into Friday. But the clock is ticking, as heat, high winds and low humidity could create “significant fire weather conditions” into the weekend, according to the Amarillo NWS. Temperatures are expected to reach the low 80s, which is 20 degrees above the March average.
A fire weather watch advisory is in effect for parts of western and northwestern Oklahoma on Saturday and Sunday as high temperatures, strong southwest winds and low humidity increase the chance of large fires, according to the Oklahoma State Forestry Department. be done.
