Texas Panhandle fire: Wildfire grows to be second largest in U.S. history
TEXAS - The Texas Panhandle Wildfire has grown to be the state's largest and most destructive fire. It's now the second largest in U.S. history.
Officials have reported two deaths, and continue combing through debris.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire has burned more than 1 million acres and, as of Friday, March 1, is currently three percent contained.
To compare that in size, the fire has reportedly grown more than five times the size of New York City.
Authorities have not said what started the fire, but strong winds, dry grass, and warm temperatures fed the blazes.
Travis County ESD 2 No. 2 Captain Trevor Stokes says the Pflugerville Fire Department has deployed several firefighters and a brush truck to assist.
Stokes says they're used to seeing wildfires this time of year, but not in comparison to the Smokehouse Creek Fire.
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"One of the things that we like to remind citizens is, just because this is happening up in the panhandle, the threat of wildland incidents in central Texas is very real. I think for people that have been in the area for a while, though, remember the Bastrop County complex fire that occurred around Labor Day a number of years ago. So there are things that people can do now, to prepare should an event like that occur again," says Captain Trevor Stokes.
Governor Greg Abbott deployed additional state emergency response resources for wildfires.
The governor also directed TDEM to increase the readiness level of the state emergency operations center to level 2.
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