There are currently five active wildfires in the area: the largest is the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Hutchinson County, which has burned over a million acres since Feb. 26. That fire is 15% contained as of March 4, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
The second-largest is the Windy Deuce Fire in Moore County, which has consumed more than 144,000 acres and is 55% contained. The other three are the Grape Vine Creek Fire in Gray County, which is 60% contained and has burned more than 34,000 acres; the Magenta Fire in Oldham County, which is 85% contained and has consumed more than 3,000 acres; and the Roughneck Fire in Hutchinson County, which is 50% contained and has burned about 300 acres.
According to CNN, the Smokehouse Creek Fire has killed at least two people and spilled into Oklahoma, burning more than 31,000 acres. Flames have consumed as many as 500 homes and businesses, killed thousands of cattle and prompted evacuations.
The North Texas Response
Last Tuesday, DFR responded to deployment requests from both Texas Task Force 2 and the Texas Emergency Medical Task Force to supply specialized personnel to the region to help contain the wildfires, Jason Evans, a spokesperson for the department, said by email. So far, the department has sent 12 of its personnel for an expected duration of 14 days. DFR deployed three EMS, one wildland firefighter and eight others to offer logistical support to Texas Task Force 2, one of two urban search and rescue teams in the state.Scott Pacot, DFR’s deputy chief of emergency operations, told the Observer he’s been in touch with the personnel the department has sent to the Panhandle and that they’re doing well. “We maintain pretty good contact,” he said. “We have them report back so we can check on them and if they have any issues going on at home we like to assist in the best way we can.”
He said disasters like this are always taxing on firefighters. “We’ve taken a lot of time to train our personnel to be able to go through that and be able to help,” he said. “But, still over time, it does tend to wear on us. … It does take its toll but they’re working through it together.”"It does take its toll but they’re working through it together.” – Scott Pacot, Dallas Fire-Rescue
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Nevertheless, Pacot said, “They’ve got to be ready for anything.”
Asked why DFR and other departments are chipping in, Pacot said, “That’s what we get excited to do.” He said everyone got into this line of work to help people, and events like this offer an opportunity to do that. “This is part of a statewide mutual aid system,” he said. “It’s always just whose turn it is to go out and help one another. We love what we do and we love to have the opportunity to do it.”
Depending on what resources look like at home, Pacot said DFR is prepared to send more personnel to help combat the wildfires.
What he would tell the DFR personnel already deployed in the Panhandle? “We’re extremely proud of them and we know that they are out there representing their name, out there representing our department, out there representing our city, and everything we do and the people we do it for," Pacot said. "We are 100% behind them and we wish them safe travels and safe operations and we look forward to seeing them again.”
According to CBS, several other Texas cities have sent firefighters to the area, including Plano, Frisco, Allen, Roanoke, Lewisville, Fort Worth, DeSoto, Grand Prairie, Red Oak and Flower Mound.
Plano Fire-Rescue sent seven personnel and a brush truck. The Frisco Fire Department sent four personnel and a brush truck. The Fort Worth Fire Department sent 15 personnel to the Panhandle to tackle the fires, along with two brush trucks and a pickup truck.
Jessie Inderman, a spokesperson for the Texas A&M Forest Service, told the Observer that neighboring fire departments have been a big help in containing the wildfires. “There are currently multiple state agencies and local departments who are working together, but this fire is so big and there’s so much terrain to cover, so every fire department here has been a great asset to us and very helpful,” she said.
She said the weather in the days ahead looks moderate, with winds of less than 15 miles an hour and humidity between 21% and 26%, which should help contain the fires. “That will reduce the probability of really bad fire behavior happening again,” she said.
Governors React
Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement Monday that the state was working around the clock to provide resources to affected Texans. “The safety and well-being of impacted Texans is our No. 1 priority as the potential for more dangerous wildfires persists in the coming days,” Abbott said. “We urge Texans to continue to heed the guidance of state and local officials and utilize tools that have been made available by the Texas Division of Emergency Management and local partners. I thank our brave firefighters and first responders who are risking their lives and working around-the-clock to protect their fellow Texans during this time of crisis.”Even California Gov. Gavin Newsom is sending aid to Texas. Newsom authorized the deployment of a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft and California National Guard personnel to help combat the wildfires. “In times of crisis, Americans stand together,” Newsom said in a statement Monday. “California has built a nation-leading firefighting fleet and we’re proud to lend a helping hand to Texas as the Lone Star State battles the largest wildfire in its history.”
