OAN’s Avril Elfie
5:08 PM – Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration as wildfires continue to spread rapidly with maximum wind speeds exceeding 105 miles per hour.
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Several large wildfires broke out Monday under warm, dry and windy conditions across the Panhandle.
The Texas city of Canadian was the first to evacuate and set up a shelter.
Warm temperatures and strong winds Tuesday afternoon are increasing the danger of grass fires in the West and along I-35. Local residents have been advised not to go out.
The Texas A&M Forest Service expects wildfire activity to increase in the coming weeks.
As of Monday, five active wildfires were burning through parts of northern Texas and Oklahoma. These include the state’s largest wildfire, the Smokehouse Creek Fire, which is estimated to have burned 40,000 acres in Hutchinson County but is 0% contained; The Grape Vine Creek Fire has burned approximately 30,000 acres. So far, it contains 15%.
Strong winds Tuesday afternoon increased the size of the Smokehouse Creek Fire to an estimated 200,000 acres, while the Grape Vine Creek Fire remained at 30,000 acres.
Residents of Canada, Glazier and Higgins were told to evacuate following the recent announcement, according to an order from Texas officials.
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