Image: Courtesy of Texas A&M Forest Service
Story by Sam Kunkle | Translation by Rodolfo Fabela
Wildfires have burned a large area of land in Texas, destroying ecosystems, infrastructure and homes, totalling in at a staggering 1,255,726 acres combined of a smoldering aftermath. The Smokehouse Creek Fire, the Windy Deuce Fire, and the Grape Vine Creek Fire, which are all considered the biggest and most destructive of the intense wildfires located in the North and Panhandle areas of Texas, have been contained and controlled to prevent further spread, but have still caused serious issues, according to government wildfire tracking site InciWeb on March 17.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire in particular has been the most destructive of the three and some have questioned whether it was ignited in part by equipment and technology belonging to the mass utility company Xcel Energy, although the exact cause and events that transpired have yet to be identified as stated in Xcel Energy’s official statement concerning the matter.
Due to the panhandle’s natural climate of warm weather and extremely gusty winds, the fires originally spread incredibly fast. Thankfully, all three of the fires have now officially been 100% contained and the spread of further damage has been mitigated for now, according to InciWeb.
Firefighters and fire departments across the state have been fighting to contain the spread of these historical flaming disasters, and thanks to their efforts they can now focus on shrinking and extinguishing the dangerous burning zones until they’ve disappeared completely.
However, Texans across the panhandle have become victims to these fires, as their homes and businesses have either been heavily damaged or destroyed, forcing many to turn to government implemented programs, charity organizations, or non-profit groups to help them recover. One of these is the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, which is accepting donations of supplies to help those in need, and another is Justice Here, a non-profit legal advocation site that helps people get the legal assistance they require for certain situations and which accepts damage claims to help provide financial and legal aid for those seeking repairs and reparations.
Xcel Energy has publicly admitted to their equipment and technology being present during the beginning of the fire, but did not accept responsibility for the fire, also further offering their open support, sympathy to all families hurt by the fires and and gratefulness to the first responders that worked hard to fight the fires, as shown in their companies’ official public statement. No intense research or investigations have yet been conducted concerning the equipment.
Sadly, even though the fires have now been successfully contained, the sheer level of damage caused by them is historical for the state of Texas, as reported by the Texas A&M Forest Service, and even though these fires are now contained at a significantly safer level, the Service still publicly recommends evacuations if there is any sign of any more breakouts of the fires, as well as giving effective preparation tactics to prevent anything from getting out of hand. If there were ever a time for Texas as a whole to come together, crises like these would be our time to shine as a state that supports and cares for each other. So it’s up to us to treat each other with the kindness that everyone deserves, as even the smallest act can go a long way for someone suffering from tragic disasters such as these historical fires.