2024 Texas wildfires

Last updated

2024 Texas wildfires
Smoke from the Smokehouse Creek Fire (2024-02-27).jpg
Smokehouse Creek Fire
Impacts
Deaths2
Season
2025  →

The 2024 Texas wildfires was a series of wildfires that burned throughout the U.S. state of Texas during 2024.

Contents

The 2024 Texas wildfires were marked by several major fires, including the Smokehouse Creek Fire in the Texas panhandle and part of Oklahoma.

The Smokehouse Creek Fire burned an estimated 1,058,482 acres (1,653.878 sq mi; 428,352 ha) in Texas and Oklahoma and was completely contained on March 16, [1] becoming the second largest fire in US history dating back to 1988. It started on Monday, February 26, one mile north of Stinnett in Hutchinson County, Texas.

Other fires include the Windy Deuce Fire, which also started on February 26. As of March 3, it has burned 144,206 acres (225.322 sq mi; 58,358 ha), including a portion of Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, and it is 100% contained. [2]

In addition, the Grape Vine Creek Fire started 9.5 miles south of Lefors in Gray County, Texas on the same day, burning an estimated 34,882 acres (54.503 sq mi; 14,116 ha) with 100% containment. [3] [4] [5] [6]

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), or produced significant structural damage or casualties.

NameCountyAcresStart dateContainment dateNotesRef
North CIG Moore 4,012February 24February 25 [7]
Smokehouse Creek Hemphill & Roberts 1,058,482February 26March 16Two fatalities; largest wildfire in Texas history, second largest in U.S history
Windy Deuce Potter, Carson, Moore, Hutchinson 144,206February 26March 3 [8]
Grape Vine Creek Gray 34,883February 26March 10 [9]
Juliet Pass Armstrong 2,963February 26February 27 [10]
Magenta Oldham 3,297February 27March 5 [11]
Mile Marker 32 Kenedy 1,424April 19April 24 [12]
Laguna 24 Kleberg 12,385May 11May 18 [13]
Hackberry Canyon Potter 1,088May 14May 25 [14]
Cattail 24 Kleberg 1,620May 26May 30 [15]
West AER Motor Cottle 1,761July 31August 2 [16]
Paint Crossing Throckmorton 2,263August 7August 12 [17]
Robertson Stephens 1,610August 12August 14 [18]
Creek 232 Throckmorton 1,241August 13August 14 [19]
Midway Pasture Wilbarger 1,147August 15August 16 [20]
Red Creek Haskell 2,778August 16August 17 [21]
Dirt Road King 1,524August 16August 20 [22]
Peter Switch Wichita 1,658August 18August 19 [23]
North Art Complex Mason 4,355August 22August 25 [24]
2024 Texas wildfires
Perimeters of 2024 Texas wildfires (map data)

Aftermath

At least two people died as a result of the fires [25] and at least 7,000 cattle have died. [26] Panhandle ranchers and farmers are seeking government assistance to recover from their losses. [27] [28] Volunteer organizations are assisting in the recovery efforts. [27] [29]

Following the fires, conspiracy theories spread stating that the fires were started by directed energy weapons which were ineffective against or deliberately did not target houses with blue roofs. [30] [31] [32]

Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the largest wildfire, with attention on a downed Xcel Energy Co. power line near Stinnett as a potential ignition source. Lawsuits have been filed against Xcel Energy for alleged negligence leading to the fires. [28]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Smokehouse Creek Fire Information". inciweb.nwcg.gov. February 29, 2024. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Windy Deuce Fire Information". inciweb.nwcg.gov. February 29, 2024. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Wildfires and Disasters | Current Situation TFS". tfsweb.tamu.edu. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Texas wildfires, including second-largest on record, rage across Panhandle". Reuters.
  5. ↑ "Grape Vine Creek - Wildfire and Smoke Map". USA Today. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Grape Vine Creek Fire". inciweb.nwcg.gov. February 29, 2024. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  7. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  8. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  9. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  10. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  11. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  12. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  13. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  14. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  15. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  16. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  17. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  18. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  19. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  20. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  21. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  22. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  23. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  24. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  25. ↑ Li Cohen. "Texas' largest-ever wildfire that killed at least 2 apparently ignited by power company facilities, company says". CBS News, March 7, 2024.
  26. ↑ Brandi D. Addison. "At least 7,000 cows have died in historic Texas wildfires, official says". Amarillo Globe-News, March 11, 2024.
  27. 1 2 Rubin, Madaleine; McGee, Kate; Lozano Carver, Jayme (March 1, 2024). "New Panhandle wildfire emerges, forcing evacuation of tiny town of Sanford". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  28. 1 2 "Texas Panhandle wildfires: What you need to know about the blazes, damage and recovery". The Texas Tribune. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  29. ↑ Nick Oxford; Rich Mckay (February 29, 2024). "Texas wildfires, including second-largest on record, rage across Panhandle". Reuters.
  30. ↑ "Fact Check: Biden did not say blue-roofed houses survive wildfires". Reuters . March 11, 2024. Archived from the original on June 16, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  31. ↑ McCarthy, Bill (March 1, 2024). "Directed energy weapon conspiracy theories resurface after Texas wildfires". AFP Fact Check. Archived from the original on June 16, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  32. ↑ Cercone, Jeff (March 6, 2024). "Texas wildfires revive baseless online conspiracy theories". PolitiFact . Archived from the original on June 16, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.