Wildfires that ripped across the Texas Panhandle left in their wake destroyed homes, blackened earth, downed power lines and wandering livestock. But also, an outpouring of support that arrived by the truckloads in the form of hay, feed and fencing materials in addition to warehouses full of supplies for families who lost their homes. Personnel from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M Forest Service are on the front lines with volunteers to serve and support in the aftermath of the largest wildfire in Texas history.

The Smokehouse Creek Fire, which started in Hutchinson County, burned a total of 1,075,000 acres and has been declared as the largest in Texas history. And, it was only one of multiple fires that threatened homes and livelihoods in the past week.

A Chinook helicopter flies a bucket of water to the flames as a firefighter walks in tall grass along a fence line.
A firefighter walks a ridge line as a Chinook helicopter flies over ranchland carrying water to dump on the Smokehouse Creek Fire in the Texas Panhandle after high winds reignited the record breaking fire. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Sam Craft)
A Chinook helicopter flies high above blackened ranchland and has a red basket that is dumping a spray of water on the Smokehouse Creek fire
A Chinook helicopter dumps water on the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Hemphill County after high winds caused a flare-up. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Sam Craft)
A wall of orange flames and smoke reach into the night sky as a firefighting plane releases a load of water that appears orange from the reflection of the flames
A Texas A&M Forest Service plane drops water on a wall of flames that reaches into the sky as the Smokehouse Creek fire reignited on March 3 near Miami. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Sam Craft)

More photos and visual media collected from the four days spent in the Texas Panhandle can be found below:

Print Friendly, PDF & Email