People Trapped In Texas Town As Fires Rage Across Panhandle

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A​ fast moving wildfire in the Texas Panhandle has burned more than 300 square miles of land in just over 24 hours and left people trapped in a small town after mandatory evacuations were ordered.

Called t​he Smokehouse Creek Fire, it was reported late Monday afternoon in Hutchinson County, about 35 miles northeast of Amarillo. By around 5 p.m. Tuesday it had spread to 312 square miles and into neighboring Hemphill County.

“T​he fire is being fueled by winds gusting more than 60 mph,” weather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles said. “At the same time, the humidity there was as low as 16 percent and temperatures unseasonably warm in the mid-70s.”

T​he blaze prompted evacuation orders for several areas. That included the town of Canadian in Hemphill County. But about 30 minutes after the order went out, the Hemphill County Sheriff’s Office posted this update to Facebook:

“US 60/ 83 south is shut down at this time. We recommend sheltering in place in Canadian at this time. The high school gym in Canadian will be open soon if anyone is traveling (through) and needs shelter.”

I​t wasn’t immediately clear how dire the situation is. A storm chaser in the area shared video of mostly empty streets and smoky skies, but no visible fire.

S​hannon Woodrum, Hemphill County jail administrator, confirmed that people are trapped in Canadian but did not know how many people had stayed behind.

The jail and sheriff’s office are in Canadian, and Woodrum is one of several employees working there through the fire. She said she didn’t feel concerned for her safety.

“​I’m just trying to help these people get out of here,” Woodrum said.

The jail is currently vacant due to renovations.

V​ideo posted to social media showed heavy smoke filling the air.

C​anadian has a population of about 2,300 people.

Several other fires are burning around the region, including the Grapevine Creek Fire near the town of Lefors, about 40 miles southeast of Canadian. It’s consumed about 47 square miles so far.

The extreme fire danger will persist into the evening.

“A front is arriving in the area by late afternoon with a big wind shift,” Belles said. “Then conditions will drastically improve: lower temperatures, growing humidity, and winds will drop, too. It will be over 20 degrees cooler tomorrow and rain is possible by Thursday.”

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